Status
by Tezslar
Summary: Gilbert Beilschmidt's life has been rough, and just when he thinks it can't get worse – it does. (Medieval fiction AU. Ivan/Gilbert, multiple characters, OCs. Full summary inside.)
1. A Cruel, Cruel World

**[Originally posted: 12/30/2013]**

**RE-UPLOADED FROM AO3**

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**Full summary:** Living on the streets under a bridge isn't the ideal life for most, and Gilbert hates it as much as the world hates him. For years he's been mocked, abused, and propositioned by passersby, but everything changes one day when the King and his son, Prince Ivan Braginski, take a ride through town. The Prince has always been a heartthrob of Gilbert's, as ashamed as he is of it, so when the man walks passed, he can't help but stare. He unexpectedly catches the Prince's eye and quickly finds himself as Ivan's 'special guest' inside the castle. However, when he finally has the man of his dreams taking a possessive interest in him, Gilbert shies away, becomes frightened, and lives in constant fear. Ivan uses their physical attraction to try and sooth Gilbert, but soon finds himself madly in love with the albino and worships him like a god. As Gilbert accepts and enjoys the pleasure that the Prince gives him daily, he struggles to understand how he truly feels for Ivan, all while possibly facing the hangman's noose if their relationship is found out by anyone.

**Genre(s):** Romance, infatuation, love, smut, sex, hurt/comfort, angst.  
**Setting:** Medieval fiction. End of the 14th century.  
**Story warning(s):** Character abuse, detailed explicit sexual content, and language.

**Some info before you read:**  
•Individual chapter warnings will be listed at the beginning of each chapter.  
•Any text between _'Single quotes and in italics like this'_ are a character's thoughts.  
•While there are a few characters involved in this story, Ivan/Gilbert is the only pairing and are the main focus of the story, though there are hints of Antonio/Gilbert at a few points. Antonio, Ivan's sisters, along with some OCs are crucial to the plot.

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****I do not own Hetalia, nor am I making any money off of this or any of my other writings.**

****Chapter Warning(s): Abuse/violence, suggestive themes.**

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There are roles and images to keep up in a kingdom, and Gilbert's was that of a peasant, a street rat, lower than dirt. He was a nothing in the heart of a beautiful kingdom, whose royal family was a set of beautiful beings who were too radiant to even be viewed by his lowly eyes. Even so, being a peasant did not make him hateful of people richer, but instead it made him sad and yearn for things he would never have in a million years, even if immortality would grant him that long. Some things were just never meant to be, and he was not ever to be part of that world. He accepted that almost fully, but there was still that tiny little part that made him ache.

He hated the sun. It burned his skin, hurt his eyes, and made him hot as he worked day in and day out until he would faint from heat exhaustion. He wished it could be nighttime all the time so he wouldn't have to deal with it. The moon was so much prettier; he could actually look at it without feeling pain. The moon was mysterious, pale and cold, whereas the sun was vicious, piercing and scorching hot, and hated him as much as he hated it.

Part of him wanted it dark so he never had to see his skin. He hated his skin more than the sun - he hated his entire body. He had no pigment in his skin, hair, or eyes; a defect he was born with that a doctor told him years ago was more or less harmless as long as he didn't stay in the sun for too long; like a vampire, just without the thirst for blood. His work entails him to be outside for most of the day, and then after, he would return home and sleep in a dried mud pit under a rickety bridge. It was hard to escape the sun.

He supposed that it wasn't all bad though, he did have one friend. A rather optimistic man by the name of Antonio; he had two other names but Gilbert didn't even attempt to pronounce them when they first met. He was a poor guy just like him who didn't have a place to call home, except the streets, but he always seemed to have a smile on his face. _"Don't worry, things will get better! Just you wait!"_ he'd always say after royal guards stole the money and bread that they would earn.

It was a hard life, but Gilbert was grateful that he had someone like Antonio to lean on when things got too rough. Often there would be dark, rainy nights where the storm lasts until the early hours of the morning, and they'd both be curled up next to each other, trying to suck the warmth from the other. Sleeping in muddy dirt wasn't how Gilbert wanted to spend his life, but he was always glad to see Antonio's smiling face when he woke up, and it was always there without fail, like the man was just happy that he was still breathing.

Even though Antonio's smile was nice to wake up to, something else throughout the day would break him. Whether it was people walking their children who would walk faster after seeing him, the royal guards spitting on and sometimes beating him, or priests trying to convince him that he's a demon. Sometimes there were days where all of these, and then some, happened. Nowadays, there was rarely a night he returned home and didn't cry his eyes out. He was okay with being poor and working all day, but being feared, abused, and accused of being a demon just broke him down into a mess, and Antonio was always there to hug and hold him until he either stop crying or fell asleep.

Gilbert could still remember the first time he met Antonio. It has to be nearly 3 years ago now, and Gilbert was sick and hungry, curled up in an abandoned house outside the city walls. Antonio stumbled inside seeking shelter from the terrible rainstorm that was happening throughout that night, and he found Gilbert lying in a ball on the floor, shivering, crying, and looking like he was at Death's door. There was no fear or hesitation from either of them, like something clicked and they knew that the other meant no harm. Antonio helped him, nursed him back to health with what medicine and food he had on him from his travels, and ever since, the two have been together, watching each other's backs and leaning on each other in times of struggle.

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The sound of splashing woke him up just before a hand began to vigorously shake him. "Gil, wake up! I have good news!" Antonio beamed.

The albino rolled over onto his back, feeling the damp mud soak through his ragged tunic to his skin. "What?" he inquired, rubbing at one of his eyelids.

"Well, you know the stable we work at?" Gilbert gave a tired nod, "Well, our boss might be getting moved." Gilbert blinked, not quite understanding the 'good' part of this news. Antonio groaned excitingly. "To the _castle_, Gilbert, and he's taking _us_ with him!" he shouted and then patted Gilbert's stomach happily.

Gilbert's eyes widened and he slowly sat up. "Really? We're going to the castle?"

The other nodded. "Maybe. We probably won't live inside it or anything, but we'll be close enough to smell all the delicious foods they have stuffed in there!"

The thought made Gilbert's empty stomach rumble.

"Besides..." Antonio grinned, "if we're near the castle, maybe you'll get to see _you-know-who~_" he teased.

Gilbert's cheeks flushed softly and he laid back down onto his side, facing away from the brunet.

"Oh come on Gilbert, I'm just teasing you." Antonio apologized and grabbed the albino's side, forcing him onto his back. "What do you say? Want to go?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I want to." He agreed without a second thought.

"Great! Oh this is fantastic! I finally feel like we're moving up in the world!" The brunet laughed happily and sat on the ground. "I wonder if we'll be caring for the King's horses?" he thought out loud, rambling on about several things he might see.

"Don't get your hopes up yet, you said the boss _might_ be getting moved."

"I know, but what's life without a little hope?" Antonio hummed; clearly his mind wasn't letting up on any of his thoughts.

Gilbert was excited too, of course, but he soon fell into a less euphoric state than Antonio._ 'We really might be living at the castle? I wonder if I'll get to see him at all...'_ he wondered to himself, his legs instinctively closing a little. He was just hopeless.

"What do you think, Gil? Do you think we'll get better food? Clothing that actually covers us?" Antonio asked, knocking Gilbert from his trance.

"Huh? Oh, um... maybe, I don't know..." he mumbled.

"Gilbert?" Antonio's brows furrowed, "You okay? You seem distracted."

"I guess I just don't like the idea of being closer to guards who like to taunt and harass me." He sighed.

"Maybe if we're working near them, they won't bother you as much?"

"Doubt it. Most of them are corrupt. This just makes abusing me easier for them..." he looked away and narrowed his eyes slightly. "I'm scared, actually. I mean, I'm hopeful that we'll get better food and clothes, but... if it means being harassed by guards every day rather than every few days, I don't think I can do it."

Antonio crawled over next to Gilbert and smiled confidently. "Don't worry, Gil, I'll be there, like always."

Gilbert smiled a little. He wanted to believe Antonio, but with a single order from any guard, both of them would have to listen without hesitation. There wasn't any escaping that. Though still, Gilbert wondered what life inside the castle would be like.

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**~A week earlier~**

Rumor has been floating around the city that the royal family has been looking for new stable workers to look after their horses. The rumor died down for a few weeks, that is, until the King and his son were spotted trotting through the streets on their horses. Everyone rushed to the main roads and awaited their royals, bowing down in respect for them, and revering them like gods.

Gilbert was feeding his favorite horse a carrot, smiling happily at her. She was a beautiful creature, black with deep brown eyes, strong and loyal. She's the boss's favorite, he wouldn't sell her for anything. Gilbert loved these animals. He may not get paid much at all and rarely got to eat fresh food, but the animals he worked with liked him a lot, regardless of his hair and eye color, or his pale skin. They just saw a person giving them love, and Gilbert was more than happy to give that love.

He petted the front of the horse's snout, smiling as he looked into her eyes, and then he heard someone yell his name. He turned his head and saw a panting, out-of-breath Antonio waving for him to follow him.

"What's going on?" Gilbert asked as he set the bucket of food he was holding on a shelf in the stable.

"The royals- the King, and his son-" Antonio took a moment to catch his breath. "They're coming."

Gilbert's eyes widened and he quickly removed the small apron around his waist and ran with Antonio to the road.

They got there just in time. The King and his son were trotting slowly down the road on their beautiful white horses, guards on all sides of them except in the front. The King was a few feet in front of the Prince, glancing around like he was looking for something.

Gilbert swallowed roughly when his eyes landed on the Prince. Prince Ivan Braginski. A quiet guy who kept mostly to himself, he didn't leave the castle very often, didn't say much unless needed, and had eyes that could melt you into a puddle. The man was beautiful and a lot of people thought so too. However, no one could get close enough to him to really figure out what made him tic, but Gilbert liked that mystery about him, he liked not knowing what the Prince liked and didn't like. It all tied together in some naughty fantasy he'd have where he figured out what Ivan liked first-hand. It was all rather shameful, and he knew it too.

Even with these dirty thoughts that he had almost daily, whenever he actually saw the Prince in person, he'd get flustered and have an explosion of butterflies in his stomach. He acts big but deep down, Gilbert is very soft, shy, and intimidated by the Prince.

Gilbert joined Antonio on the ground, kneeling down on one knee and bowing his head. The horses were almost to them and Gilbert glanced up out of a curiosity that he just couldn't hold back. His eyes locked onto the Russian Prince, who looked bored as he neared where the albino was kneeling. Then, like something had heard Gilbert's wishes, the Prince turned his head just slightly and his eyes met with Gilbert's. The albino felt his heart skip a beat. He could see the purple hue of the Prince's eyes, but his own eyesight wasn't the best, and he wished he could see them up close, but this was as close as he was ever allowed to be. There was part of him that accepted that, but also a part of him that refused it.

Ivan turned his head, and he noticed a strangely pale man kneeling on the ground. The man was looking up at him, defying his authority, but that intrigued him. Ivan narrowed his eyes, noticing the faint tone of pink in the white haired man's eyes, and when he noticed him staring back, he gave a tiny grin. The way the man was looking at him was full of curiosity, and like he was awestruck. Even as his horse trotted further passed him, Ivan kept his eyes on the pale man, wondering just what he was thinking.

That grin made Gilbert feel like his body was going to melt; his cheeks even gained some color. The royals moved away, and soon it was like nothing even happened. Everyone got up and went back to work, and Antonio actually had to shake Gilbert by the shoulder to knock him out of a state of dreaming.

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"Why do you think they were in town today?" Gilbert asked to Antonio. They had both gone back to their hole under the bridge and were sitting opposite each other.

Antonio was busy breaking a loaf of bread into pieces. "What does it matter? They were probably just looking down on us peasants." He said. "Here."

Gilbert looked up and the other male was holding a piece of bread out to him. "Thanks." He mumbled and took the bread, taking a small bite of it. "Still... usually the Prince doesn't come out much..."

"Maybe he finally got sick of being locked in his fancy castle doing who knows what." Antonio commented as he chewed his food.

"I don't know, maybe." Gilbert leaned back against the cold ground behind him, and silence fell over the two as they ate.

After the tension was pulled tight enough, Gilbert spoke up. "... he looked at me."

"Who? The Prince? Come on, Gil, he probably just glanced over and you were- wait a second, you were _looking?"_ he sat forward when Gilbert nodded, his eyes widened. "Are you crazy!? You're not supposed to look unless they say so!"

"I know that!" Gilbert shouted and then groaned. "But I'm not blind; he looked right at me and even smiled." He blushed softly and shifted his body, curling his legs a little closer to his chest.

Antonio was about to retort once more but he took notice of the way Gilbert was sitting, and after looking at his expression, he also saw the tiny redness of his cheeks.

"Gilbert, do you... like, the Prince?"

"... no." his blush darkened and his voice was small.

"You do!" the brunet shouted and laughed a little. "Wow, I can't believe I never noticed."

"Shut up! It's not a big deal!" Gilbert's face burned more.

"Oh but it is. The stable boy in love with the Prince, how romantic."

"More like excruciatingly painful." Gilbert said flatly. "And I'm not in love with him; I just... think he's attractive."

"Oh. So when you say 'painful' you really mean _painful_." Antonio chuckled and Gilbert glared at him. "Sorry. How long have you felt this way?"

"A few months, I think... but it's not important. Not like I'm ever going to be with him, I don't even _want_ to be with him, I just want to, uh..."

"To sleep with him?"

Gilbert's eyes went wide and he burned a darker shade of red. "N-No, I don't."

"Liar, I can see it in your face, and you're squeezing your legs together just thinking about it!"

Gilbert turned away from the other. "Be quiet..." he shoved his hands between his legs, trying to cover himself more with what little cloth he had. He couldn't believe Antonio was mocking him about this, nor how much the Prince actually affected him.

"Ah, I'm sorry Gil, I'm just teasing you. But... you should try to not think about him, he's a Prince and you're, well..."

"A peasant, I know." Gilbert snapped angrily. "But can't I have just _one_ dream?"

Antonio sighed, breathing heavily out of his nose. "You can, but don't let it consume you; you have enough to worry about."

The albino narrowed his eyes at the dirt below him. _'He's right, I have enough to worry about, I shouldn't make it worse for me...'_

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Later that same day, while the sun was setting over the land, Ivan was in his chambers and burning a hole in his stone wall with his gaze. He couldn't get that pale man out of his head; there was something about him that was extremely intriguing. Ivan couldn't tell if it was the white hair, pale skin, or red eyes, or maybe the combination of them all. Maybe it was the way the man was looking at him. He had to know more about him. Why is he almost colorless? What is his name? His life story? How does his voice sound? How old is he? Ivan was driving himself a little crazy pondering these things. The pale man looked like a fairy, a creature written about in books that men like Ivan would dream of being with, though most of these books were about fairy women. Ivan didn't care either way if the man was male or female. He was beautiful, and those eyes seemed to be screaming of something, and Ivan wanted to know what.

The servants in the castle were always good for gossip and knowing things they shouldn't, so Ivan went straight to them. However, whenever he would mention the pale man to any of them, they all froze up and turned a little pale themselves, like the man was a bad omen or something. He eventually found himself with a woman named Eleanor - one of the maids in the castle. She seemed to have her eyes and ears everywhere, and knew of rumors and information on several people.

"A pale man?" the woman repeated her Prince as she folded a piece of cloth. "Are you talking about the boy down at the stable?"

"That would be him."

"Oh yes, I've heard of him before. Bit of a mystery, that one is. He stays low, which is good for his kind."

"His kind?" Ivan tilted his head.

"... demons."

"Demons?" Ivan blinked widely.

The woman nodded quickly. "He's as pale as snow and has eyes that shine bright red. I'm not saying I believe he is one, but the man is rather strange. His boss doesn't even pay him because of it, he's just a slave."

"If he works there, shouldn't he be paid?"

"Should, but isn't. Boss gives his friend an extra coin or two for keeping the demon company, but he himself gets nothing. For a demon, he isn't very bright."

Ivan narrowed his eyes in thought. _'There is no such thing as demons, but... I can use this.'_ "Thank you, Ms. Eleanor." He bowed his head a little and turned away from her, returning to his room. Ivan wasn't a subtle person by any means, and would take what he wanted regardless, so he had a plan to get the pale man here. All that was left was to convince his father.

The next morning, Ivan had a meal with his father in the dining room. He wasn't sure of the best way to say that he wanted to bring a demon to his castle, so he said it bluntly, with no room for confusion.

"You want to do _what?_" The King's eyes widened, "Bring a demon here? Have you lost your senses, Ivan?"

"No sir, I simply think it's dangerous for a demon to be mingling with innocent townsfolk. Here we can keep an eye on him and watch his every move." Ivan liked that idea. The pale man was something to look at.

"You have a point, but that would be endangering my family."

"I'll watch him myself. I could use a project." Ivan grinned.

"... if he is to come here, his friends should come as well. We do not want to anger a demon."

The Prince stiffened, "No, that isn't a good idea. If he has friends in the castle then they're likely to try to help him escape, it's better to keep him isolated."

The King hummed softly, seeing his son's point. "Very well. I'll send a group of guards to retain him in a few days." He agreed, and Ivan smiled a little brighter, "However, Ivan. This... _demon_, is your _full_ responsibility. If he harms any of my family, you will be to blame."

"I understand." He kept his grin in check. This was working to his favor smoother than he thought it would. Now he just had to wait.

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It was early in the morning, a few days after the King and Prince made their visit into the town, and Gilbert was still sound asleep curled up against the cold dirt wall. Antonio watched him sadly, he thought about how Gilbert got paid nothing to work harder than him, and even though he did share his earnings with him, it wasn't enough to keep them both fed and healthy, one of them was bound to fall sick sooner or later, and Gilbert had started to cough a bit the other day. He sighed heavily and leaned back against the dirt. For once, his smile was gone.

He began to hear people chatter in front of the stable house, and he heard his boss's voice. He sounded strangely upset, and Antonio poked his head up over the tiny bridge he and Gilbert slept under. He saw a group of 5 royal guards walking toward him, and his heart skipped a beat. He turned back to Gilbert and began calling out to him, shaking him softly. Before he could wake him, the guards were at their feet.

"You there, wake your friend." One said to Antonio.

He nodded and obeyed instantly, beginning to shake Gilbert rougher. "Gilbert, Gilbert! Wake up!" he hissed quietly.

"Mhn, what is it, Toni?" Gilbert grumbled, rolling over a little to look over his shoulder. He instantly perked up more when he saw the distressed look on the brunet's face. It was an expression he rarely wore.

"The guards are here." Antonio whispered urgently.

Gilbert's eyes widened and he sat up, turning around and looking up at the 5 men dressed in shiny armor.

"We have orders to detain you and escort you to the castle for questioning. You will come quietly or else be forced." One of the men said.

Gilbert nodded and, in a spurt of bravery, asked, "May I ask what this is about, sir?"

"No. The King has given his orders, now stand." He ordered.

Gilbert did as told and stood to him feet, albeit a bit wobbly.

Antonio suddenly gripped onto the cloth of Gilbert's tunic. "You can't go, they'll probably execute you." He whispered worriedly.

Gilbert placed his hand over the other's, "They'll do that anyway if I resist." He said and pushed Antonio's hand off of him. "I'm sorry, Toni." He closed his eyes and sighed, and then stepped toward the guards; one roughly grabbed his arm and pulled him into the center of the group.

"Careful! Prince Ivan said to be careful with him!" one of the men hissed at the guard holding Gilbert.

As the man apologized to the other, the albino froze in his tracks before he felt cold shackles around his wrist, a chain leading to another man. _'The Prince said to be careful with me? Is he the reason I'm going to the castle? What is going on?'_ his mind raced, but feared the worst.

He was pulled along with the guards, and he looked back at Antonio, who looked utterly heartbroken and terrified.

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The guard tugged on the chain attached to Gilbert's bonds, forcing him to walk faster and nearly making him trip over his own feet in the process. The albino didn't dare speak up again, he knew he was in trouble but he didn't know why. He was still caught on why the guards were told to be careful with him. Was it because people think he's a demon? That couldn't be why he was going, could it? He never even did anything wrong. They didn't have any proof that he was a demon, but there also wasn't any that proved his humanity. All it would take is the King's word and he'd be hung within a heartbeat.

He had never been this close to the castle before, the tall stone walls intimidated him, and he felt an increasing sense of fear overtake him. He never thought he'd feel this way, but he was really missing his little home under the bridge.

The guard holding the chain stopped by another guard by the castle doors. "Take him to the King." He instructed. The other nodded and took the chain, and pulled Gilbert inside. Instantly, some of the servants and guards stopped what they were doing and looked at the albino. Some began to chatter amongst themselves, the word "demon" being whispered between several lips.

Gilbert felt his heart sink. It was a terrible feeling to be viewed as a demon like this. He would rather be spit on and kicked and belittled for being poor than deal with the judging and fearful eyes of the people he meant absolutely no harm to.

The guard pulled him through the castle, through large halls decorated with pots of flowers and elaborate tapestries hanging on the walls. Finely carved wood acting as support beams against the stone, and fur rugs dotting the halls. Soon, Gilbert was led up toward a large door and then the guard turned to face him. "You will remain quiet until asked to speak, do you understand?"

Gilbert nodded, not being able to find his voice, and the man knocked on the door. It opened from the inside, and Gilbert was led into the giant main hall, the King, his wife, and their youngest daughter. He was escorted further into the room, stopping in front of the King and his family.

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Thanks for reading, friend.  
If you liked this, please leave a favorite and/or a review. Thank you.


	2. Infatuation

**[Originally posted: 1/11/2014]**

I owed you guys a bit of a longer chapter considering how short the first one was, so here ya go, chapter 2.

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******I do not own Hetalia, nor am I making any money off of this or any of my other writings.

**Chapter Warning(s): Abuse/violence, soft yaoi, suggestive themes.**

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Gilbert kept his eyes on the King, his heart beating slow with fear. The guard next to him still had a hold of his chain, and there was another one who had his fingers gripped into his white hair, keeping him on the ground. It wasn't like Gilbert had any desire to stand up anyway; he was terrified of what was going to happen to him.

The king's eyes scanned the man in front of him. Pale as snow, and clearly dressed like a peasant in only a ragged tunic with a small rope tied around his waist. He was tiny and petite, almost like a woman, his legs were thin and narrow, his entire body looked hollow. He looked sickly.

"I suppose you are wondering why we've brought you here?" The King asked and waited. Gilbert froze for a moment. He wondered if he was supposed to talk. Out of caution, he simply gave a small nod.

The King smiled a little wider. "It was recently brought to my attention that you are thought to be a demon by many townsfolk, including most you see around you today." he paused and let Gilbert shift his eyes around to the dozen or so guards and few servants watching him. "For safety purposes, and to prevent a potential riot in my city, you will be imprisoned here until we figure out the best way to deal with you."

He listened to every word the King said, but he couldn't believe it. He knew that people thought he was a demon but he never thought they'd be bold enough to actually capture him. It seemed to Gilbert that it wasn't a very good idea to try to imprison a demon, and if that demon let himself be captured, he clearly isn't a very good demon. Everything about this situation was based on superstition and a need to keep the town calm, not reason or even common sense. Gilbert supposed that he didn't want to cause any trouble, and if he behaved, maybe the charges of being a demon will be dropped and he could go about his life. He really didn't like the idea of spending the rest of his life in the castle dungeons or being hung or beheaded publicly, but he knew that this was going to end with one of those outcomes.

"Do you have a defense for yourself, to prove that you are not a demon?" The King asked. Gilbert's eyes widened and he still stayed his tongue. "You may speak." The King gave the okay, and Gilbert swallowed dryly.

"... no sir..." Gilbert mumbled. "Except... that there is no proof that I _am_ a demon." He said rather boldly.

"Hey!" the guard next to him pulled on his chain, yanking him to the side. "Don't get snappy with the King!" the man yelled, and the next thing Gilbert felt was a hard, cold gauntlet slap across his face. It sliced through the skin of his cheek and caused him to fall over.

"Learn your place, maggot!" the other one joined in, slamming his foot into Gilbert's ribcage once he was down. The albino curled up, trying to protect himself as the two continued beating him. He could feel the boot dig into the flesh of his stomach, and he cried out in pain when the iron began slicing through his skin and causing blood to soak against the inside of his tunic.

"Father..." the youngest Princess placed her hand on the King's shoulder. "Shouldn't we stop them?"

"Do not fret, Natalia. These guards will be punished." Was all the King said with a tiny smile.

Natalia blinked back to the albino boy who was still being beaten by the guards. She felt bad for the man; she herself did not believe him to be a demon at all. She heard a door squeak open to her right and she looked, and she now understood what her father meant.

"Was I not clear in my order to be careful with him?" The two guards ceased their beating when they heard the voice, and looked to where it came from.

The Prince was walking toward them, with not a happy look on his face whatsoever.

"But, your grace, he- he talked back to the King."

"I don't care." Ivan retorted in annoyance and then stopped in front of the quivering albino on the ground. "I explicitly said to be careful with him and not to harm him, and here you are disobeying a very clear order from your Prince." Ivan crossed his arms and thought for a moment. He then pointed toward two other guards standing along the wall of the room. "You two, escort these former guardsmen to the dungeon until... I don't know, until I decide to let them out." he ordered. The two guards by Gilbert grit their teeth, but cooperated when the other guards put iron shackles on their wrists and took them away.

Ivan watched as they left, and when the door closed, he knelt down to the albino on the ground. He noticed the cut on the man's face and glared at it, as well as the blood soaking through the front of his clothes, and he cursed the two men who had injured the man.

"Can you sit up, demon?" Ivan asked.

Gilbert bit his lip but tried his best to move, but his ribs were still hurting from the assault. Ivan noticed how the man's body was shaking and how his face displayed the pain he was in. The Prince moved a bit closer and gently gripped onto the man's arms. He felt the pale man tense up, which he only figured was normal. Ivan helped the man sit up and Gilbert looked up at him. He froze once again. Seeing the Prince this close was like a dream come true, although he wished that the circumstances under which they met were different. Why was the Prince being so gentle with him anyway? Was he just being cautious?

"Stand." Ivan instructed, and Gilbert quickly attempted to. He managed to shakily stand to his feet, hopefully without flashing anyone due to his lack of undergarments. Ivan then grabbed onto the metal shackles around Gilbert's hands, and then pulled him toward his father.

"Thank you, father. I'll take it from here." He said with a small smile.

"Remember our agreement, Ivan." The King gave a small glare toward his son.

Gilbert shifted his eyes back and forth between the King and Prince, severely confused as to what was happening. He figured that he would be thrown in the dungeon with those other guards, but the way that the Prince was acting made Gilbert think that he was in for something else entirely, and the possibilities scared him. Not much was known about Prince Ivan, but one rumor that was floating around was that it was never good if he took an interest in you.

Ivan gave a nod and then looked to Gilbert. "Come quietly." He commanded and began to pull Gilbert by the chain.

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Gilbert was led up a few flights of stairs and then down a darkened hall, lit faintly with a few candles every 10 or so feet. It was spooky and sent a chill down Gilbert's spine. An actual shiver came because it was cold in the castle and Gilbert's lack of clothing wasn't helping his case. That fact made him uncomfortable, actually. He was alone with the Prince, a man who he had admired from a great distance and thought about in various vulgar ways, and now he was bound in iron and being led to god knows where, injured and in nothing but a ragged tunic.

Ivan soon took a turn into a small hall that had a single door at the end and then stopped. He pushed the door open and then looked back to Gilbert, then let go of the chain. "Step inside."

Gilbert obeyed and stepped into the room. He glanced around, it was dark inside because there were curtains pulled over the only window in the room. He tensed up when he heard the door close behind him, and he turned his head just slightly and glanced over his shoulder. _'He's going to torture me, isn't he?'_ He thought. Thinking of all the horrible ways to be tortured made him feel sick.

Ivan turned around after locking the door and saw how tense the other's back was. He studied his body for a moment. "You're scared, aren't you?" He asked.

Gilbert said nothing.

"You're allowed to talk." Ivan spoke again after realizing that the man was probably nervous to even speak.

The albino took in a sharp breath. "I'm... scared." He finally spoke.

Ivan smiled a little, happy to finally hear the man's voice; it was a bit lighter than he expected it to be. "You shouldn't be."

Gilbert twitched and turned around. "_What?_" he nearly growled. "I shouldn't be scared? I _shouldn't!?_ How am I _not_ supposed to be scared when guards take me from my home, accuse me of being a demon and then beat me until I can barely stand! How am I-" Ivan began to walk toward the other, and Gilbert froze in fear. How stupid was he to yell at the Prince like that. "N-No wait, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Gilbert tripped over his feet as he stumbled backward, he leaned on a wooden piece of furniture next to him and he clung to it as if it would protect him. Ivan extended his hand out, and Gilbert cringed, readying himself to be hit again.

However, he was not hit; rather, Ivan gently stroked his fingers across Gilbert's uninjured cheek and brushed some of his hair behind his ear. Gilbert's eyes widened, confused but still feeling afraid.

Ivan repeated, "You shouldn't be scared." and continued to stroke Gilbert's hair. He noticed a look on the pale man's face, like he was bursting with questions and fear. "Go on, speak your mind."

Gilbert hesitated to take the Prince up on that offer, "... Why shouldn't I be scared?" he finally asked.

Ivan gave a soft chuckle. "I can see why you would be, but I assure you that you are safe. If you being a demon was the only reason why you're here, you would have been executed by now."

"... there's another reason why I'm here?" Gilbert asked in a confused and quiet tone.

Ivan smiled and patted the albino's head softly. "Yes." He said simply and then brought a key out of his pocket. He pushed it into the shackles around Gilbert's wrists and unlocked them, and then tossed them aside. "Do you remember when my father and I came into town a week or so ago?" Gilbert nodded. "Well, I happened to see you on the side of the road, and... well, to be blunt, I thought you were intriguing." Gilbert's eyes widened and Ivan chuckled again. "I have a reputation of taking what I want, so I asked my father to bring you here under the suspicion that you are a demon. Father gives me full responsibility over you and I get to stare at you as much as I want. There's nothing more to it."

Gilbert breathed out of his mouth, trying to comprehend the strangeness of the Prince's words. "So... I'm just here, for your amusement or something?"

"I suppose. I won't hurt you or make you work, or even touch you if you refuse." Ivan explained. "You don't seem too happy about this; most would kill to be able to freely live in the castle."

"But I'm not free." Gilbert mumbled.

"No... but I promise your safety." Ivan assured him and began to play with the albino's hair again. _'So pretty...'_

Gilbert looked down, beginning to feel his cheeks warm up. He didn't have any other choice but to stay, and he tried to pretend that he wasn't a prisoner... and, in a way, he wasn't. Prince Ivan liked him, a lot it seemed, so maybe he was more like an exotic beauty that Ivan wanted for his own.

That was just wishful thinking on Gilbert's part.

Ivan just wanted to look at Gilbert, like a painting. With that thought, Gilbert began to feel like an object, and he started to wonder about the possibilities. What if Ivan starts to make passes at him? Or requests things of him? Gilbert would daydream about Ivan in such ways but he never actually thought he'd be within touching distance of the man, and now that he was, he was terrified.

Ivan looked down at the other's face and noticed the small blush. It made Ivan grin. "So, what is your name?"

Again, he hesitated before speaking. "Gilbert." He answered.

"No last name?"

"... it's Beilschmidt."

Ivan smiled. "I see. Gilbert is a nice name for you." He rubbed a lock of Gilbert's hair between his fingers and felt something rough against his skin; he looked a bit closer and saw dirt in several places. "Why don't you take a bath, Gilbert, and then afterward I'll see if I can't take care of this cut on your face, and any of your other wounds." He moved his hand to hold the albino's chin between his fingers and watched as pale cheeks became red. _'How cute.' He _grinned. This man was even cuter up close than he thought he'd be, which was dangerous for both of them. The man looked so innocent, and those pale pink lips looked so _kissable_.

.

Ivan showed the albino to the bathing area, and began pouring water into a round tub. Gilbert stood by, nervously twiddling his thumbs together. After a few minutes, Ivan turned to Gilbert.

"How are your ribs? Do they still hurt?" He asked.

Gilbert placed a hand on the area where he had been kicked several times. It felt sore and if he moved in certain directions he would feel a sharp pain, and of course the cuts were still stinging but he supposed the pain was bearable.

"It's a little sore..." He answered.

Ivan's lips turned down into a frown. "I am sorry about those guards earlier. I gave them all an order to be careful with you..." He sighed.

Gilbert remained quiet, still not sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Do you need help bathing?" Ivan offered.

Gilbert quickly shook his head stiffly. "No I'm fine."

Ivan smiled subtly. "All right, then, get in." He instructed, and Gilbert suddenly stumbled backward into the door, looking appalled.

"What? Right now? With you here?" He held his arms defensively.

Ivan cocked his head slightly in confusion. "Is that a problem...?"

"_Yes!_ I don't want you to see me naked!" Gilbert shouted.

Ivan smiled softly and went to the other, causing the albino to cringe a little when he neared him. "You surprise me with how easily you defy me. I appreciate you sticking up for yourself." He put his hand on Gilbert's shoulder. "Just wrap a towel around yourself when you're done and come out. I'll be waiting outside to take you to your room."

Ivan removed his hand from Gilbert and left the room, leaving Gilbert to do as he wished.

.

There was something a bit... unnerving and uncomfortable about taking his clothes off inside the castle. He didn't have much on him anyway, just an oversized tunic that reached down to just above his kneecaps, with nothing underneath, but when he had to actually remove it, he felt hesitant, like he was being watched. When he did it, he did it quickly, and stepped over the tub and sunk down into the water. The water was a bit too cold for his liking and it made his cuts hurt more, but he didn't care because this was the first bath he's had in... a _very_ long time.

His body soon became accustomed to the cold and he slowly rubbed at his arms. His skin had become so caked with dirt and mud that it practically stained his skin. Underneath all of that grime was his natural, almost pearl white skin that he hated so much. His blue veins were clearly visible throughout his forearms and hands; he thought it made him look inhuman and gross. Then there were his eyes - a pale pink that most mistook for red. He didn't know why they were like that; all he knew was that everyone thought he was a monster because of them. He hated his body with a burning passion, he looked so unnatural and he stuck out wherever he went. He hated it so much, but the sadness and oppression it brought was stronger than any anger, and would nearly leave him in tears if he thought too much about it.

Then there was the Prince, who seemed infatuated with his appearance. It's another thing that was beyond Gilbert's comprehension. The Prince was never one to take an interest in the people of the city, and his interests were never very clear. At first, Gilbert thought this was the worst thing ever, but he had to find a silver lining. He was in the castle, not as a slave or a servant, but just as a thing to look at. Gilbert didn't find it too horrible when he thought about it like that, especially since the one looking at him was Ivan, who already said he wouldn't hurt him or touch him if he was uncomfortable with it.

Still, he tried not to think about it and let his body relax in the water. He closed his eyes and before he knew it, time had slipped by. When the door of the room opened, he snapped up quickly and looked over.

Ivan had walked into the room, and when he noticed Gilbert sloshing in the water and covering his body nervously, he stopped. "You've been in here for a long time, I was getting worried." Ivan spoke with a genuine tone in his voice.

"Well I'm fine!" The albino yelled. His face was a little red, though Ivan guessed it was because he was naked.

Ivan narrowed his eyes. "Right, I'm sorry." He apologized and then left the room.

Gilbert sat up a little, lifting most of his chest out of the water. He felt a tad bit guilty for yelling at the Prince. After all, he was just making sure he was all right.

He looked at his hands and noticed that his fingers were shriveled up. _'How long have I been in here?'_ He wondered and then moved to stand up. When he bent at his abdomen, he felt a sharp pain and he looked down at his stomach. There was a nice purple bruise beginning to form on his ribs, along with several small cuts. The cuts would heal but he was worried that his rib was broken. Regardless, he carefully stepped over the edge of the tub and wrapped a nearby cloth around his body. He held it around his waist and most of his chest, partly because he was cold, but mostly because he was hiding his bruise and wounds.

He opened the door just a little and poked his head out. Ivan turned to him and gave a little smile. "Are you done?" Gilbert gave a nod and Ivan waved his hand, gesturing for the other to follow him. Gilbert did so, and followed the Prince back toward the room he was in earlier.

.

Inside his room, there was a small fire in the fireplace, burning calmly and heating the room up. Ivan turned to Gilbert, and was about to speak but then stopped and blinked at the other, like he was confused. "Why are you covering your chest like that?" He asked.

Gilbert clenched his towel in his hands a little more, the way he shifted his body was defensive, and he looked a little flustered even. "I don't want you to see me." His voice was stern, though Ivan could tell that he was nervous.

"It's not like you're a woman who would have something to hide." Ivan sighed and went over to a large dresser.

"So? It's my body. I don't have to show you anything." Gilbert retorted. He surprised himself with how well he stayed his ground, even if this was the Prince.

The statement made Ivan grin, though Gilbert couldn't see it. How wonderful this was turning out. Gilbert was truly a fascinating person, and Ivan loved that the albino defied him so easily, even though he was still a little uncertain and hesitant to do so. It made Ivan realize that he couldn't walk all over Gilbert, he still had limits on what he'd allow even a royal to do, and that pleased Ivan. He kind of wondered if he could break those limits though; Gilbert didn't seem like a very strong-willed person, especially if you were to maybe give him what he wants.

After a few moments, Ivan pulled some clothing from the dresser and went to the bed. "You can pick out whatever you want to wear." He smiled.

Gilbert walked over and looked at the clothing. They were all made from fine silks and looked far too nice to be worn by him. Still though, Ivan was standing by and waiting for him to choose, so Gilbert pointed to a pair of dark pants, which Ivan then picked up, and then to a tunic that Ivan also picked up.

The Prince folded the clothes neatly and set them aside, then gathered the others and returned them to the dresser. "Just tell me when you're done changing." He smiled and left Gilbert in the room by himself.

He wasted no time in changing either. He let the towel around him fall to the ground and he shivered slightly from the cold that prickled at his skin. He grabbed the pants and slid them over his legs and then tied the small sash around his waist to keep the pants up. They fit nicely, which was strange, almost like Ivan knew he would be wearing them. He pulled the tunic over his head and slid the top buttons through the holes, and then slid his hands down the front of the shirt. The material felt really good, and it was a little lose-fitting so it was really comfortable, aside from the fact that every time the material touched his wounds, they'd burn. After he was done, he paced quickly to the door and opened it.

Ivan was standing right outside and he turned around when he heard the door. He actually froze up for a moment when he saw Gilbert. He didn't expect the man to look so good, but he did. He looked cute, but somehow very attractive at the same time, and he wasn't sure what to think of his new thoughts.

Ivan moved passed the other and back into the room, and Gilbert gently closed the door, feeling like that was what he was supposed to do.

"So... what happens now?" Gilbert asked, and then turned around.

Ivan looked to him again with a small smile. "Now, I'm going to take care of that cut on your face." Ivan went to a small table on the other side of the room, "Sit on the bed." He instructed, and Gilbert obeyed, sitting on the edge of the soft mattress. Ivan came over to him and sat a small box on the bed next to Gilbert. He brought out a small container and opened it, dipped his fingers into it and then brought his other hand up to carefully hold Gilbert's chin between his other fingers. He leaned in a little too close for Gilbert's comfort and he tensed up, pulling back just slightly.

"Relax." Ivan reassured him calmly and gently began to rub the ointment on his cut. Gilbert winced a little, closing the eye above the cut as Ivan continued on. After the pain faded, though, he began to realize that Prince Ivan was touching him again and being very gentle with him. He felt unworthy of this feeling; he is a peasant, after all. Why would the Prince even care so much?

_'Why is he being so nice? Doesn't he think I'm a demon?'_ Gilbert wondered, trying to avoid the Russian's eyes that were only inches from his own.

Ivan moved back. He reached to the side and picked up a small bandage and gently pressed it over the cut on Gilbert's face. He then took a moment to just look at the other, and he took the albino's chin between his fingers again.

"You have beautiful eyes." The Prince complimented with a genuine, almost loving, smile on his lips.

And the compliment made Gilbert's face burn. What else was he supposed to do? Being inches away from the most attractive man in the city - perhaps the world, and having that man compliment him on a feature of his which he hated? He had no choice but to blush brightly.

Ivan thought it was adorable.

Soon the Russian removed his hand, keeping his smile in place. "How are your ribs? I didn't see how long the guards were attacking you, so I don't know how badly you're injured."

Gilbert looked away, not wanting to say anything.

"It's all right, you can tell me." Ivan assured him, and gently ran a hand through the albino's clean white hair.

The action of affection encouraged Gilbert. "... I'm worried, that they might be broken..." He finally mumbled out. He was clearly worried about them.

"Would you like me to look at them?" Ivan offered. Surprisingly, Gilbert nodded just slightly and he seemed to refuse to look at the other. "All right, lay down." Ivan instructed, and Gilbert hesitantly did so, though Ivan wasn't sure if he was nervous or just being careful of his ribs.

After the albino was lying down on the bed, Ivan slowly began to lift his tunic, and he instantly saw Gilbert's entire body tense up. "You're all right, Gilbert, relax." He consoled him calmly, and pushed the rest of the tunic up.

It made Ivan angry to see the bruises that were forming on the other's ribs, and there were multiple gashes in his skin that were still stained with some blood. Such pretty white skin was now flawed with a rather large purple discoloration and small incisions. He'd see to it that those guards were stripped of their titles and escorted out of the city for what they've done. Ivan carefully touched a finger against one of the bones, minding the cuts, and Gilbert hissed quietly in pain.

"I'm sorry." Ivan apologized, and Gilbert shook his head as if saying that he was all right. Ivan continued to feel the other's ribcage, gently, and hating whenever Gilbert showed any sign of discomfort. After a moment, He sighed and smiled toward the albino and pulled his shirt down a little. "There aren't any breaks or fractures, you're just bruised. You'll be fine."

Gilbert smiled a little, and felt thankful and relieved that his ribs were just bruised and nothing more serious. He was so relieved, in fact, that it took him a few seconds to realize that he was smiling up at the Russian, and when he did, he began to blush again.

Ivan noticed it immediately, _'He's too cute...'_ he thought, and then spoke up. "I'll clean your cuts as well. Can you sit up, and take off your top?"

Gilbert didn't really want to, but his skin was stinging and the ointment that Ivan had put on his cheek was making it feel better. He sat up, and carefully lifted his shirt off and set it aside.

Ivan had to keep himself from staring at the other for too long, he was extremely pretty, and it was hard to not stare. He began to rub the wounds with the ointment, noticing how Gilbert shivered a few times from the cold of the substance. After a moment he moved back, wiped his hand with a cloth and brought out a longer and wider bandage. He began to wind it around Gilbert's ribcage until it was tight enough to stay in place, but loose enough so that he could breathe. Without saying a word, he even slid Gilbert's tunic over his head and helped his arms through it.

Gilbert looked up at the other. "Thanks..." he mumbled quietly.

Ivan's smiled in return, "Would you like something to eat? You look like you haven't had a decent meal in a long time."

He was right about that, Gilbert's belly had gone empty many days and nights, and he rarely ate fresh food. The albino nodded quickly and sat up.

Ivan smiled, "You can have whatever you'd like, just say the word and I'll bring it."

Now that made Gilbert feel like _he_ was the Prince. Having someone wait on him like that. It was incredibly bizarre and even a bit uncomfortable, but he wasn't about to turn down food; his stomach was already rumbling quietly and hurt from lack of food in it.

"Some bread would be nice... maybe some fruit?" He asked hesitantly, not wanting to step on the boundaries of this offer. He still wasn't sure about the Prince, if he could fully trust him or not. Ivan's kindness seemed to have a hidden motive.

"Very well. I'll be back in a few minutes with your food." Ivan turned and simply left the room without another word.

.

Now he was left all alone. He stayed on the bed for a moment, but then he saw some light flicker through the curtain in the room. He slid off of the bed and strolled over to the window and pushed the curtain to the side, and looked out. His room was high above the ground and he had a beautiful view of a giant sunflower field that was just outside the walls of the city. It was gorgeous and almost took his breath away. Though, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was still trapped, a prisoner. Ivan may be acting nice to him, but it was just because he wanted to look at him, and while that flattered Gilbert to some extent, it scared him. He only hoped that it stayed like this, with Ivan just talking to him and looking, and nothing more... physical.

Soon the sound of the door opening knocked Gilbert from a trance of staring out at the sunflowers. He spun around on his heels and saw Ivan just coming into the room with a platter of food in his hands.

"Oh, do you like the view?" Ivan asked when he noticed Gilbert by the window, "Or were you thinking of jumping...?" his second question sounded sadder.

"No, I like it." Gilbert answered, and looked back out the window. "It's beautiful."

"Like your eyes." Ivan added, smiling softly as he placed the plate of food down on the table in the room.

Gilbert turned his head to look back at Ivan. "You... really like my eyes, don't you?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Ivan answered with a question as he poured some water from a pitcher into a nice cup.

"Well, they're the eyes of a demon. Most people hate them." Gilbert said with a bit of sarcasm, though he sounded sad.

"You don't _really_ believe that you're a demon, do you?" Ivan turned to face the other, and Gilbert looked a bit shocked.

"Isn't that why I was brought here?"

"Don't you remember me saying that if you being a demon was the only reason you're here, you would have been executed?" He asked, "Come, eat your food." He instructed and Gilbert quickly came to him. "You're here simply because I want you to be. I don't believe that you're a demon, much less do I even believe in demons themselves."

Gilbert eyed the other cautiously, "So... I'm here only because you want to look at me?" He asked.

Ivan nodded. "For the most part, yes. Though you have piqued my curiosity about you. Regardless, help yourself to as much of this platter as you wish." He said and sat in a chair on the other side of the table.

Gilbert looked down at the plate of food, and then back up to the Prince.

"Go on, eat. Your ribs are too visible to be healthy." He smiled.

With that, Gilbert sat down and began to eat his fill. He ate several slices of the bread in front of him and every piece of fruit that was on the plate. He drank all of his water as well, which made his stomach feel even fuller. Soon, he was leaning back in his chair, his belly poking out just slightly from having so much food in it, and it was thanking him greatly for the food.

Ivan loved the satisfied and content look on the albino's face, but he had some questions for him that he hoped Gilbert would be willing to answer.

"So Gilbert, on the subject of me being curious about you, would you mind me asking you some questions?" Ivan asked, looking toward the other with a slightly serious look on his face.

Gilbert shook his head. "Sure..."

Ivan smiled and leaned forward on the table. "All right, firstly, how old are you?"

"22." Gilbert answered.

_'A year younger than me...'_ Ivan thought. "What about where you're from? Were you born in this town?"

Gilbert shook his head. "I was abandoned by my father after my mother died, and I just kind of wandered for years, so I don't know where I was originally born..." he stopped himself before he gave the other his life story, though secretly Ivan did want to hear more.

"And what about your looks?"

Gilbert snapped his eyes up to Ivan. "What about them?"

"What is the cause of your lack of color?"

Gilbert was silent. _'I don't know... I was just, born like this...'_ He bit his lip, and then sighed after a moment. "I'm not sure... a doctor said it's a defect in my body that I was born with, or something..."

"Does it hurt?" Ivan asked.

"I- ... sometimes..." Gilbert mumbled, and Ivan leaned onto the table more, curious. "My skin burns easily so I stay out of the sun as much as I can, bright light hurts my eyes too, and my vision isn't good..." He looked down.

"I see... well then, we'll have to be careful with you." Ivan smiled softly toward the other.

Gilbert narrowed his eyes slightly. "May I ask you a question, then?"

"Certainly." Ivan replied.

Gilbert shifted his eyes up to the other, looking sad. "What do you want from me?" He asked.

"Excuse me?" Purple eyes widened in slight shock.

"You want to look at me, but I don't understand why... why did you go through the trouble of bringing me here and doing all of this for me? Why me? Why do you want to look at someone so disgusting?"

Ivan stood up and went to the albino's side. He leaned down and cupped the pale man's uninjured cheek and made him look at him. "Where else am I going to find someone with eyes as beautiful as yours?" He asked and began to rub his thumb against the soft skin.

Gilbert's eyes widened and he blushed faintly, but stayed his tongue.

"Is it wrong of me to take an interest in you, when you are the most interesting person in this entire damn town?" He asked.

Gilbert still remained quiet; unsure of what to say or even if he was supposed to answer. Ivan's eyes were bright and vibrant, and Gilbert was caught in them.

"Well? Don't you want me to have an interest in you?" The albino hesitantly gave a nod, not blinking. "You do?" Ivan seemed a little shocked by this, and when Gilbert realized what he had just admitted to, his face flushed red. He tried to look away from the prince, but his eyes were force back to purple ones. "If you want me to like you, why did you ask like you want nothing to do with me?"

Gilbert boldly pushed Ivan's hand away from his face and looked down to the wooden flooring. "I'm scared, all right!?" He shouted. "Being an object to look at, an object that _belongs_ to someone- it's not comforting _at all!_"

Ivan narrowed his eyes. He never really looked at it that way; he figured that anyone would be ecstatic to live in the castle, to have the Prince fancy them. He carefully placed his hand on the other's head and rubbed gently through his hair. The gesture confused Gilbert, but it also comforted him a little.

"I am sorry... I don't want you to be scared, really." He continued to run his fingers through Gilbert's hair, and he noticed that the albino was becoming less tense. "I told the guards to be gentle with you because of that reason, I wanted you here but I couldn't go into town and just introduce myself, my father won't let me willingly communicate with a... well..."

"Peasant." Gilbert finished his sentence for him. "It's all right, I know what I am."

Ivan's eyes saddened. "Right... well I- I needed a reason that would allow my father to let me see you, and him thinking that you're a demon keeps him away from you, but me very close to you."

_'He sounds like he's in love with me...'_ Gilbert thought. "You're crazy..."

"Perhaps." Ivan agreed as he moved a little closer and gently pressed his nose into the top of Gilbert's head. The albino flushed from being so close to the Prince and being able to smell his scent. "I know myself well enough that I'm possessive over things I'm interested in, and I tend to be a bit intimidating... but I don't mean any harm, all right?" He gave Gilbert's head a soft kiss. "I will never hurt you."

Gilbert bit his lip, blushing intensely from the other's words and the small kiss.

Ivan pulled back and looked at the other's red cheeks, and he smiled softly. "You're adorable when you're embarrassed." He loved how his comment only embarrassed Gilbert more. "I'd say you have a little thing for me as well." He teased lightly.

Gilbert pursed his lower lip out a little and shifted his eyes away. "I... might have a tiny, thing... for you..." That was the biggest understatement ever; Gilbert lost track of how many times he's gotten off on detailed fantasies of some very dirty things involving the Prince.

Ivan was very pleased with this response, and he nuzzled his face down a little. He let his lips find the skin of Gilbert's forehead and pressed a little kiss there, but Gilbert tensed away.

"What's wrong?" Ivan asked, sounding just slightly disappointed.

Gilbert shifted his body in the chair. "I... I'm not comfortable with you kissing me."

"Why not?"

"Just because I like you doesn't mean I'm comfortable with you kissing me, all right!" Gilbert stood up from the chair quickly, he didn't realize how close he was to the wall and he backed right up into it. "I-I just, I..." He stuttered as Ivan came to him. "I'm- not used to being touched like this... you have to- to..."

"Go slow, and be gentle?" Ivan suggested as he slid his hand through the smaller man's hair. A little sound came from Gilbert's throat, a sound that seemed to mean that he liked the gesture, but he was clearly still nervous, even if only a little.

"Gilbert, may I kiss you?" Gilbert looked up to him, eyes wide. "Just to see what it's like? If you don't like it, just tell me to stop and I will." He tilted his head down closer to the other's, and Gilbert turned away slightly.

In truth, Gilbert was _dying_ for it. He finally had the person of his dreams and fantasies asking to kiss him, and it wasn't a dream this time. It was very real, and that's why he was hesitant; there are consequences to this, and he wasn't sure if he should take Ivan up on his offer.

However, when those lips pressed against his temple, all that uncertainty melted away and he nodded, tilting his head up slightly. Ivan's cheeks warmed up, Gilbert looked so... innocent and needy, like he wanted to be kissed so badly, and he did, so incredibly much, and Ivan had no desire to deny that, he did ask in the first place.

He brushed his lips down Gilbert's cheek, holding his chin gently with his thumb and index finger. He tilted Gilbert's head up a little more and pressed his lips against the corner of the albino's mouth. He felt the man quiver slightly and pink eyes snapped shut, and that gave Ivan a little bit of a thrill, building his anticipation. He inched a little closer to his lips, and eventually, they touched.

Gilbert pushed back against the wall at the contact, and Ivan pulled away from him. "Are you all right?" He asked.

The albino nodded and looked away. "I'm fine... just not used to, being kissed by a Prince."

Ivan pulled Gilbert's chin back to him and smiled warmly. "You can't say that; I haven't even kissed you yet."

Gilbert blushed in embarrassment. "Fine, I'm not used to being kissed at all." He admitted.

"I'll change that, if you want." Ivan pressed his lips to the corner of Gilbert's mouth again. Gilbert made a tiny squeak, but moved his head up toward Ivan's, causing their lips to brush lightly against each other. They shared a glance for a moment, and then Ivan kissed him.

* * *

Whoa already some kissy stuff happening. Well I enjoyed writing this chapter, possessive Ivan is pretty damn attractive in my opinion.

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Thanks for reading, friend.  
If you liked this, please leave a favorite and/or a review. Thank you.


	3. It's Just Physical

**[Originally posted: 1/14/2014]**

I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out. I write too many bathing scenes though.  
Also, this chapter is pretty long with 9,000+ words, so strap yourself in.

.

******I do not own Hetalia, nor am I making any money off of this or any of my other writings.

**Chapter Warning(s): 17+ yaoi, slight violence/abuse, blood, slight angst.**

* * *

Gilbert stirred awake, groaning softly as he rolled onto his side, his face pressing into a pillow. Then, a second later, he realized how warm and comfortable he was, and how odd that feeling was for him, and then suddenly a flood of other realizations washed over him. He was in the castle; he had a brief moment where he forgot all about that. He was lying in a soft bed, surrounded on all sides by beautiful quilts that kept his entire body warm. He was dressed in a long sleeping gown that Ivan picked out for him the night before, and... right... Ivan.

Then it hit him. The thing that mattered the most.

Their kiss.

Gilbert's face flushed brightly when the image snuck back into his mind. He remembered how gentle Ivan was with him, like he knew he had to be in order not to scare him. The entire encounter was burned into his mind like someone branded it there.

/

_Gilbert's eyes shot open wide and he clunked backward against the wall, lost his footing and slid down a little, effectively breaking the kiss. Ivan wrapped his arms around him to support him and gave him a look between concerned and amused. _

_"Are you all right?" He asked._

_Gilbert nodded quickly. "Really not used to this and I felt like I couldn't breathe for a few seconds." His face was red in embarrassment, but he was clearly confused, a little disappointed even._

_Ivan leaned a bit closer, chuckling softly as he brushed white hair from Gilbert's forehead. "You don't know the first thing about kissing, do you?"_

_Gilbert groaned and looked away, which only resulted in Ivan pulling his face back to him. "No, I don't, okay? And you do?" Gilbert retorted, albeit weakly._

_"As a matter of fact, I do. I've kissed people before. Not that I've wanted to, but there are parties once in a while, dances, festivals, where I have to accompany a Princess. It's all rather annoying, and I'd much rather be kissing you." He smiled at how red Gilbert's face got again and leaned down to kiss the other's cheek. "You're simply adorable with how easily embarrassed you are."_

_Gilbert yanked his face away from Ivan, feeling angry and even a bit exploited. He didn't like this feeling of Ivan being amused by his embarrassment, it was the only reason he wanted to kiss him to begin with. He wasn't there for his personality, just his appearance, and Ivan clearly liked being dominant over someone who was being forced to be here, but... Gilbert had to blame himself a little as well; after all, he did allow this situation willingly. He couldn't deny that he also liked Ivan's appearance, but his possessive attitude was a little creepy._

_"Gilbert?" Ivan said his name quietly, concerned. _

_"I'm- ... not embarrassed." He couldn't even say it without thinking 'Yeah right.' He knew how embarrassed he was, but he didn't want to be. He wants to kiss the Prince, simply because he's wanted to for months. He and Ivan are the same, only liking each other because they think the other is the most beautiful being on the face of the Earth, and that's all right, isn't it? _

_"Then shall we try that again?" He asked and Gilbert gave a nod, and then he smiled, "Breathe through your nose, and try not to be so tense; you're all right, I promise." He assured him, which actually did help Gilbert's muscles relax a little._

_After a few seconds, Ivan reconnected their lips. This time went smoother than the first, Gilbert's lips weren't as stiff, neither was his body and he seemed to just melt right into it. Ivan tilted his head slightly, brushing his nose against the other's and bringing his lips a millimeter from Gilbert's before pressing against his again. The sweetest thing was the small intake of air Gilbert took in when he felt Ivan's lips leave him for that split second they parted, like Ivan had literally taken his breath away._

_Ivan's hand brushed against Gilbert's chin, sliding his fingers along his jaw and then down, resting his hand around the albino's neck and warming his skin. At that moment, Gilbert pushed up a little into the kiss, letting Ivan know that he was comfortable now, and proving to himself that he wasn't as frightened of Ivan as he thought. He couldn't afford to think that way, and he didn't care about anything else other than the soft lips pressing against his own._

_As they got lost in the kiss, Ivan moved his hand from the side of Gilbert's neck, traveled up his nape and tangled his fingers into snow-white hair. Gilbert's hands slowly clenched the fabric of Ivan's tunic and the small feeling made the Russian grin._

_Ivan wanted to give the other a little something to keep his mind racing, so just before he pulled away from the kiss, he opened his mouth slightly, and Gilbert mimicked his action like a mime. Ivan slid his tongue out and gently grazed the albino's lower lip; he loved how the other tensed at the touch, and he finally pulled away._

_The Prince looked down at the albino, smiling proudly at the expression on Gilbert's face. Like he wanted more but was uncertain of what just happened, there was a tint of arousal in his eyes and his cheeks were flushed pink. He simply was the most beautiful creature ever._

_"I think it's safe for me to say that you liked it, hm?" Ivan chuckled and kissed Gilbert's forehead, ruffling the hair on the back of his head teasingly._

/

And then that was it. Just like that, their first, and rather intense, kiss was over in what felt like seconds to Gilbert, but he remembered it so well. Every little movement Ivan made was burned into his memory.

He shifted his body on the bed, curling up as he began to think about kissing Ivan again. Would the Prince let him? How would he ask him? After their kiss, neither of them talked about it, like it was just something that happened. An experiment, a curiosity.

And what a curious thing it was. Gilbert was infatuated all over again, but this time it was worse, because now he actually _had_ the Russian here. He could talk to him, see him, touch him, kiss him - maybe do more than that even, if the situation presented itself. The only problem is... is Gilbert willing to do it?

He can fantasize all he wants, but if ever in that moment, he doesn't know if he can go through with any of it. He was hesitant enough to even kiss him, though it seemed that all the albino needed was a gentle little nudge and he'd melt right into the Prince's arms... and that's what scares him.

Gilbert threw the blanket off of his body and sat up. He felt hot, an inner warmth that burned throughout his body, blood flowing to his cheeks and some to his lower areas. He felt a great deal of shame for that, but really, how is he _supposed_ to control himself when Ivan is as handsome as he is, not to mention that Ivan just _looking_ at him gets his heart beating quickly. All it takes is a look, just one little look.

He stood up from his bed and walked to the window and gazed out it. The sun was just rising over the land. The view calmed him down a little, and he finally thought that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just be an object in Ivan's possession. He had clean clothes everyday, food, a bed, a bath, an actual roof over his head. It wasn't a bad deal to just sit and let the Prince look at him.

Yeah, he was okay with it all.

.

Ivan, who was already awake, dressed, and on his way to see Gilbert, had been thinking about their kiss from yesterday as well. He was, dare he admit, _giddy_ over it. Gilbert was just perfect. He was innocent, shy, but showed signs of stubbornness and desire. He brought the albino here so he could look at him and study him. But after seeing a little bit of his skin yesterday and kissing him. He wanted to see everything Gilbert had, and he wanted to experience it first hand. There was just something so alluring and mysterious about an all white body with pink eyes, and Ivan wanted it, he wanted all of it.

Infatuation and curiosity certainly are dangerous when combined, and Ivan was the pinnacle of that. He thought about kissing Gilbert again, maybe slipping his tongue inside this time, drag his hand down Gilbert's back and force the smaller male closer to him so their bodies are flush against each other, just so he could feel the albino's body against him.

Even worse, he thought about stripping Gilbert of his clothes and admiring him in full, just to see the whole of that white body, and... maybe even touch it. Oh the idea excited him! However, he knew that Gilbert would need to open up a little more if he were to be nude in front of Ivan. Ivan wasn't shy about his body, and he's very open about his desires. He didn't see a point in being shy about something he wants, especially if there's even a slight chance that he'd get it. That was why he brought Gilbert here, he had a desire to see the man up close, and he got it.

Maybe he was just crazy to think that this would work, but that was all right with him, as long as he tried, he'd be okay with failing.

.

He made his way through the castle halls, going from the kitchen up to Gilbert's private room. He gave a knock to the door before entering. When he pushed the door open, he saw Gilbert by the window, leaning against the frame like he was daydreaming. He looked like an angel, dressed in all white and standing in beams of light.

"Good morning." Ivan greeted as he walked to him.

Gilbert turned around when he heard the voice, not having heard the knocking before. "Good morning." He said back.

Ivan stood in front of him, smiling at him. Gilbert simply stared, wondering what the Prince was thinking; he looked a bit mischievous, like a small child who had just done something wrong and was strangely proud of it.

Ivan then leaned forward and quickly connected their lips, letting it last for naught but a few seconds before he pulled back.

"I think we should have morning kisses everyday."

Gilbert still stared, but was now blushing softly.

"Do you not like them?" Ivan asked after not getting a response.

"N-No, I do. It's just... you seem a bit different than before." Gilbert answered and looked away.

"I'm happy. Most people would be happy everyday if they woke up to a beauty like you." Gilbert looked back to Ivan and the Russian grinned at the pink that had begun to stain on the albino's face. He reached out and gently cupped a red cheek, "You are simply too adorable."

Gilbert shifted his eyes away, not sure what to say to the other at all. He was a little baffled.

"Anyway, I'm having your breakfast delivered soon, but don't worry, it's someone I trust." He smiled, "Just don't talk back to her, or give her any reason to think that you'll injure me, she'll probably kill you herself." Ivan chuckled softly.

Gilbert looked a bit uneasy now, and Ivan noticed it. "Don't worry about her though; she's just protective of me, thinks that no one understands me or something." He ran his hand through Gilbert's hair, as if silently saying that Gilbert understood him. "But... there will be times when guards deliver your food if I'm not here. They might harass you and say mean things but they're all under strict orders not to get close to you."

Gilbert gave a nod to show that he understood. Ivan smiled and leaned in, giving the other a long kiss. Before they could really get into it, though, there was a knock at the door.

Ivan turned his head from Gilbert, seeming a little annoyed that their kiss was cut short. "Who is it?" He asked.

"It's me." It was a woman's voice.

"All right, come in."

The door opened, and Gilbert's eyes widened when the woman walked in.

Ivan looked to Gilbert. "You know my sister, Natalia, right?" He asked, and Gilbert nodded hesitantly. This was the same woman who was in the main hall of the castle when he was first brought here. The Princess.

"I have some news for you, Ivan." Natalia sat the tray of food on the table in the room.

"What is it?"

"Father wants to have lunch with you in an hour, said he wants to discuss upcoming events, and-" she looked to Gilbert, "and your, uh, _friend_."

Gilbert swallowed roughly.

"Very well." Ivan closed his eyes, sighing. "Natalia, would you mind watching him while I meet with father?"

"_Excuse me?_" Natalia seemed shocked, and even a bit appalled.

"Please, Natalia?" Ivan practically begged. "He doesn't bite, I promise, and he probably won't even talk."

"I did not agree to keep your secret so I could watch your _pet_, Ivan." She glared.

"Natalia." Ivan's voice became lower and he sounded slightly angry.

The woman sighed and crossed her arms over the front of her laced up dress. "Fine, but only until you're done with father. And don't expect me to be his babysitter all the time."

Ivan clapped his hands together once, "Wonderful, thank you." He said and then turned to Gilbert, who looked very uncertain. "Natalia will stay with you until I get back." He gave a quick kiss to the top of Gilbert's head.

Natalia groaned softly. "Just because I agreed to this doesn't mean I want to see it."

"Then look away." Ivan grinned a little and took Gilbert into a full kiss, making it last for a bit before he pulled away. He patted the top of the albino's head and then turned to his sister. "Make sure he eats and drinks everything, don't let anyone else into the room, and do not let him leave either. There's a reason why I put him this high up into the castle, no one guards the top floor because there's only a few rooms."

Natalia nodded. "All right."

.

The air in the room became extremely hard to breathe in, and it had only been maybe 10, 15 minutes since Ivan left the room. Gilbert was locked in here with the youngest Princess, who wouldn't stop looking at him with this cold blank stare, like she was trying to see right into his soul. The woman was definitely intimidating. She may wear pretty lace dresses and cute flat shoes, and look like a delicate flower, but Ivan had told him that she could kill him if she wanted, and he didn't doubt it. If looks could kill, he would be dead right now. He tried not to let her stare bother him too much and he just lay on his bed and looked up at the wooden ceiling above him.

The thing that stuck in his mind the most was how she said she was keeping Ivan's "secret". What secret? And why did she seem so calm in the presence of a supposed demon? Wasn't she at least uneasy about it?

"Ivan told me to make sure you eat." The Princess spoke up. "If you don't, he'll be mad at me, and if you're the reason he gets mad at me, I'll dislike you even more than I already do."

Gilbert swallowed and stood up. "Y-Yes, Princess." He bowed his head and went to the table and began to eat.

"You're very obedient for one accused of being a demon." She commented as she watched the pale man slip a piece of bread into his mouth. "Most would be fighting this with every ounce of their being."

Gilbert glanced up from his food and looked at Natalia, and he thought about his response for a few seconds. "I have nothing I wish to fight against. I get food and a dry place to sleep, and all I have to do is let the Prince look at me."

His words seemed to strike a nerve, and Natalia's fingers curled into a fist and her eyes narrowed just slightly. "So you are using my brother."

"_He's_ using _me_, isn't he? It's only fair." Gilbert said boldly, but his composure didn't last long when he suddenly found himself thrown to the ground, slamming into the wall, he felt his wounds open instantly and tears stung at his eyes, but he didn't have any time to react further. The Princess stood over him and gripped the collar of his shirt tight in her hand.

"He is _royalty!_ He is allowed to use peasants like you for whatever he wishes! If he tells you to do something, you will do it! If he wants to look at you, you will let him look! If he tells you to serve him, you will serve! If he wants to lay with you, you will give him your body!" She yelled down at him, her eyes bright with fire.

Gilbert was scared. Somehow, the tiny bit of security he had developed was just destroyed by one woman's words. Ivan was using him. Plain and simple, and while he was enjoying the food, clean clothes, and the whole kissing-the-Prince thing, he hated feeling like a slave whose only purpose was to satisfy Ivan.

"Do you understand?" Natalia asked coldly, and Gilbert gave a scared nod. The Princess let go of his collar and walked back to the table and sat down. "Hurry and eat, Ivan is a quick eater and he'll likely finish up with father as fast as he can."

Gilbert struggled to stand and held his ribs were his gashes had opened; he winced in pain as he finally stood up, though using the wall to support himself.

Natalia seemed confused. "Why do you look like you're in pain?" She asked.

"Because I am." He hissed quietly and wobbled to the table.

Natalia looked at where Gilbert was holding himself, and then she noticed blood soaking through his white gown. It was then that she remembered the beating he received from the guards the previous day.

"You're bleeding!" she quickly stood up and went to Gilbert, holding onto his arm.

He yanked his arm from her grasp and fell down into the chair. "Don't touch me, I'm fine."

"No you don't understand, if Ivan sees that I hurt you, he'll kill me!"

"You should have thought about that _before_ you threw me on the floor."

There was a silence caused by shock, and then a loud slap. Gilbert's face turned to the side, his eyes wide, stunned.

"Do _not_ speak to a Princess like that." She growled. Her eyes had that sort of angry burn to them again. "You may not be a demon, but you're still just a filthy peasant. Ivan will soon get bored of you just like everything else and you'll either be executed or thrown back into the city. Now eat, you've gotten me in enough trouble as it is."

Gilbert didn't say another word and he began to eat again. He was scared. He knew that Natalia would tell Ivan that he spoke back to her, and Ivan even _warned_ him not to do that. What would Ivan do to him when he found out? Would he be mad?

The thought made him lose his appetite, but he forced himself to keep eating, but it was difficult, not only was his side hurting and bleeding all over the front of his nice white gown, but his face was stinging from being slapped, he was sure one of Natalia's nails cut the top layers of his skin too. Though he deserved it, he _did_ speak out against a royal. He was lucky to even be alive at this point.

.

Ivan opened the door to the dining hall, where he found his father, the King, sitting in his chair, which was much larger than the others surrounding the table. He walked further in and announced his presence by clearing his throat.

The King turned around at the sound. "Ah, Ivan, I've been waiting for you. Come, sit, we have things to discuss."

Ivan did as he was told, silently and without hesitation. "What did you want to speak to me about?" he asked, acting like Natalia didn't give him any hints.

"First, I want to ask about this demon." The King poured himself a glass of wine. Ivan thought it was strange since it was so early in the morning to be drinking, but one should not question the King.

"All right..."

"Does he pose any immediate threat to us?" He asked.

Ivan shook his head. "No. He's surprisingly... cooperative. He hasn't tried to escape or fight back, he just sits on his bed."

"That is good. Is anyone watching him now?"

"Yes, Natalia is with him."

"Are you certain that's a good idea, Ivan? Having your baby sister guard your demon?" The King raised an eyebrow toward his son as he took a sip of his wine.

"I wouldn't talk so little of your daughter, father. She _did_ best your own Captain of the Guard with only a dagger, after all. She's fierce, and she wanted to take a look at him. I wouldn't worry about her."

"You children are so strange with your interests these days..." the King mumbled, rubbing his temples tiredly.

"Just be glad Katyusha isn't here, she'll probably want to put him in a dress when she sees him."

"That would be a sight. A male demon in a fancy dress. How absurd." The older man laughed softly.

Ivan chuckled a little as his father did, though he actually quite enjoyed the mental image of Gilbert in a dress. He might have to see that become a reality soon.

"So has anyone told Katyusha about him being here?" Ivan asked.

"No not yet, I figure that if we send word to her, she'll return a frantic mess. It's best that she finish up with her medical studies before returning home."

"When will she return anyway?"

"A few days, maybe a few weeks." The King sighed. "But enough about the demon, there's something more important I want to speak to you about." He smiled, which made Ivan uncomfortable and he drank some water from his cup. "Have you thought about taking a wife soon?"

Ivan nearly choked on the water and he placed the cup down. "W-What? A wife?" he repeated, trying to hide his shock and distaste for the idea.

"Yes, you're old enough to rule in my place, and you've met with one of the Princesses before. You don't have to marry her tomorrow, but we'd like you to get to know her more, to see if she's suitable for you."

Ivan was disgusted by the idea. He had no interest in taking a wife, or ruling his father's kingdom for that matter. However, he knew he had to do something. He was expected from birth to be King one day, but he didn't like the fact that his father brought this up as soon as Gilbert arrived. Did he think that Gilbert was going to do something?

Of course he does, everyone thinks that Gilbert is a demon.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt, if I am to marry this woman..." the words left a horrible taste in his mouth.

"Very good, I'll arrange for the Princess to come here as soon as she can." The King clapped his hands together.

"When will she arrive?" Ivan asked reluctantly.

"Hm... maybe a week, or more. There's no real rush, but I would like you to be crowned King by next winter."

Ivan's eyes widened at this statement. "That's a little over a year from now..." he mumbled.

"Yes, but it gives us time to plan things, and just in case any obstacles arise we can always take care of them." The King picked up his cup. "Now eat, I know you have a busy day, what with tending to your new pet." He chuckled.

Ivan forced a smile and began to eat as told. There was a part of him that hated when people referred to Gilbert as his pet. He wasn't a pet, nor was he a slave or servant. Gilbert was an angel, a beautiful angel.

.

After a _long_ lunch with his father, Ivan finally managed to make his way back to Gilbert's private room near the top of the castle. It had been nearly 2 hours since he had left him; he hoped that he and Natalia got along well enough.

He knocked on the door softly.

"Who is it?" Natalia asked from the other side.

"It's me." Ivan answered, and a few seconds later the door cracked open. Natalia looked a little worried, which was strange. "Natalia? What's wrong?" Ivan asked.

"Nothing. It- It's not my fault." She said quickly and then slipped between Ivan and the door and left, swiftly pacing down the hall. Ivan took a few seconds to let what just happened settle in and then he suddenly looked into the room. The albino was sitting at the table with his head resting on one of his forearms, face down.

"Gilbert?" Ivan called out, and the man looked up from the table, looking a little sick. "Gilbert are you-?" he asked as he went in a little more after shutting the door, and then he saw the blood staining the front of Gilbert's gown. "Gilbert what happened!?" Ivan shouted and ran to him.

"I-I'm fine, I just- ... reopened my wounds." Gilbert answered.

"Why didn't you try to put something on it?" Ivan asked.

"I don't know where any of it is..."

Ivan took the albino's hands into his and helped him up. "Come here, I'll fix you up again." He said as he led the other to the bed and had him sit. Ivan looked a bit closer at Gilbert's face. "You have a little scratch on your other cheek..." he commented.

Gilbert placed a hand over it, which Ivan quickly pulled away. "What happened?" The albino was reluctant to speak, and when Ivan made him look at him, he bit his lip a little. "Do not lie to me, I'll find out eventually."

The albino swallowed hard. "I... I may have said some things to the Princess, and she got upset..."

"What did she do?" Ivan asked, not caring about what Gilbert said to cause his sister to get angry.

"She threw me against the wall, basically. That's when my wounds reopened... and then she slapped me when I said something else..." Gilbert explained.

Ivan sighed softly and kissed Gilbert's forehead. "I'm surprised you're alive. Pissing Natalia off is dangerous, but pissing her off twice?"

"She said that you'd be angry if she hurt me." Gilbert stated, almost like he was asking a question.

"Of course, I'm very protective of you."

"So I won't get hurt?"

Ivan nodded.

"Because my body won't look pretty if I get hurt."

Silence fell over the room and Ivan just stared at the albino. "... what?"

"That's why you don't want me getting hurt. Because then my body won't be pretty to look at anymore, and that's why I'm here." Gilbert explained.

Ivan's eyes widened and he realized how this must be making Gilbert feel. The hurt shone in his pink eyes brightly.

"... take your gown off." Ivan mumbled quietly.

Gilbert tensed and brought his arm to his chest defensively. "What?"

"You can't wear bloody clothes, and I need to wrap your cuts again." Ivan said.

"But- But I'm not wearing anything under this!"

"So?" Ivan's expression was flat. "We're both men, there's nothing you have that I don't."

Gilbert blushed. "I... I don't care! I don't want to be naked in front of you!"

Ivan placed his hand on Gilbert's head, making the man flinch slightly. "What are you afraid of? I'm just trying to help you..."

"I know but I... I..." He closed his eyes and let his head hang down. The Princess's words rang in his head.

_"If he tells you to do something, you will do it!"_

_'Right... I have to.'_ Gilbert blew some air from his mouth, and then lifted his arms a little to reach the tie around the back of his neck. He pulled on it and let the shoulders of his clothing slide down his arm a little, he still held it up, as he was still nervous.

Ivan watched him for a moment. "What are you doing?"

"You want me to take it off, right?" Gilbert asked, looking up at the Russian like a clueless child.

Ivan chuckled softly and rubbed Gilbert's bare shoulder gently. "Yes, but only because I want to make your wounds feel better." He said genuinely.

Gilbert blushed softly and sunk down a little. "It's okay... I know you want to look at me, so you don't have to lie-"

"I'm not lying, Gilbert." Ivan took Gilbert's face into his hands. "Let me help you feel better."

Gilbert stared up at the other, feeling nervous but anxious. "Okay..." he finally agreed.

Ivan smiled and pulled back a little, he pushed more of the white gown down Gilbert's body until it bunched around his hips, being careful of his ribs. The bruise looked bad, but the bloody cuts looked worse.

"You've got blood all over your stomach, you need another bath." Ivan said and pulled the other up from his sitting position.

Gilbert used his free hand to catch the gown before it fell from his hips, but then he looked at Ivan, and then slowly released his grip on the gown. As soon as the cloth fell from his hips, he hissed from the cold and in nervousness.

Ivan took a step back and let his eyes gaze down, and then back up, and then back down. Over and over again. Gilbert was absolutely beautiful - aside from the blood that had dripped down to his inner thigh. Ivan couldn't stop looking there, like the contrast between white and red was the only thing catching his eye. He had to be careful though, as Gilbert's naked body was beginning to make him tingle.

Gilbert tensed up more and held his hands close together in front of his stomach. "Stop staring..." he mumbled, turning his head away.

"I'm sorry, but... that's impossible." Ivan stated and Gilbert looked to him. "Why people think you're a demon is beyond me, you're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen..."

His words made Gilbert's body burn hotly, blood rushing to his cheeks and other places it shouldn't.

Ivan took a step forward and took Gilbert's hand into his. "Come." He instructed and walked Gilbert over to the dresser. He pulled out a long red cloak and then wrapped it around the albino's shoulders. He smiled down at Gilbert, loving what he saw. "Red suits you, just not if it's blood." He ran a hand through Gilbert's hair, and the albino blushed softly, closing the robe around his body.

Gilbert slid his arms into the sleeves of the robe and Ivan helped him tie it. Then, Ivan grabbed his hand and headed for the door. They left the room together and walked down the little hall. Ivan peeked around the corners to make sure that there weren't any guards and then headed to the nearby bathing room. Inside, he locked the door and drew Gilbert another bath, and soon it was ready.

Ivan slipped the tie from Gilbert's red robe and then pushed the fabric back off of his shoulders and let the cloth fall to the floor.

Gilbert once again flushed pink, not yet used to being fully naked like this. Ivan noticed it and gave the other a sweet kiss to the forehead. "Ready to get in?" he asked.

Gilbert nodded slowly, and went to the side of the large tub that looked big enough to fit three grown men. Ivan held his hand as he stepped over the edge of the tub and into the water, and soon Gilbert settled down in it, leaning back against the expensive looking stone.

Ivan knelt down to the side and simply watched the albino in the tub for a moment, "Does it hurt?" he asked.

"A little... but, it healed up some from yesterday." Gilbert answered.

"That's good..." Ivan smiled and leaned onto the side of the tub, he just looked over the other's chest, admiring every detail, every bone.

Gilbert became a little uncomfortable with the stare. "What...?" he asked.

"You're just so beautiful..." Ivan muttered out, and smiled when Gilbert blushed and looked away. "Say, Gilbert... would you mind me getting in with you?" Ivan asked.

Gilbert snapped his eyes back to the Russian, looking more flustered than ever. "Really? You- I mean, I... if you want to- I can't... deny that..." he began to squirm slightly, mumbling.

"No, you can. I told you that I wouldn't touch you if you didn't want me to, but you did tell me that you had a little thing for me, isn't that right?" The Prince asked and Gilbert nodded slowly. "What is this 'thing' of yours? Is it physical?" Gilbert gave another nod. "Do you want me to join you?" the albino froze for a moment.

This meant that they'd both be naked _-naked-_ in the bath together. If only Ivan knew how many times Gilbert had fantasized about this very situation.

After that moment was up, Gilbert nodded slowly.

"You're sure?" Ivan asked.

Gilbert nodded again. "I've... wanted this for a while, so..."

Ivan stood up and began to strip. "Wanted what?"

"... to be close to you like this..."

Ivan slid his tunic off and Gilbert couldn't stop staring. "You're lustful, aren't you?" Gilbert twitched and squeezed his legs shut, and Ivan laughed. "It's written all over your face, you've got pent up lust. A virgin, I'm guessing." Gilbert flushed darkly and looked away. "Don't worry, I promise I won't do anything you're uncomfortable with." He undid his belt and then dropped his pants; Gilbert still wasn't looking at him, though Ivan thought maybe that was a good thing.

The Russian stepped over the tub and sunk down into it, causing the water to rise up over their chests. Gilbert was still refusing to look at Ivan.

_'He's so nervous...'_ Ivan thought sadly, picking up on every bit of body language from the other. "Gilbert, please look at me." He requested.

Gilbert tried, peeking out of one eye, and once he saw the Prince's skin, he quickly shut them, brought his knees to his chest and buried his face into them.

He felt the water sloshing toward him and when he looked up, Ivan was kneeling right in front of him, smiling sadly. "If you wanted this, why are you hiding?"

"I- ... I want it, but..."

"You're scared?" Ivan rubbed down the side of Gilbert's calf, making him flinch.

"A little..." Gilbert admitted.

Ivan smiled a little and slowly began to push the albino's legs apart. Gilbert gasped in fear and tried to close them, and Ivan let him. After giving Gilbert a moment to relax, Ivan tried again. He kept his gaze on the albino as he pushed his legs apart once more. This time, Gilbert resisted less, but he turned his head away once his legs were fully parted; it was such an awkward feeling. Ivan smiled, reached out, and cupped Gilbert's face, wetting his skin with some water.

"You're okay." Ivan reassured him as he rubbed a thumb against a red cheek. "Now, shall I clean your body of blood?" He asked.

Gilbert nodded silently, and Ivan turned to the side to grab a cloth. He dipped it into the water and moved a little closer, scooting between the other's legs just a little. "I'm sorry if this hurts." He said, Gilbert nodded in response, and the Russian pressed the cloth to Gilbert's wounds, and gently rubbed the blood away. Gilbert showed signs of pain and discomfort, but he didn't let any sound come out, his face was proof enough for Ivan.

After a few minutes of carefully rubbing the blood from Gilbert's skin, he pulled back and set the cloth aside. He looked at Gilbert and smiled, "Do you want to get out...?" Gilbert shook his head. "What do you want to do, then?" Gilbert blushed and looked away, and Ivan leaned forward, circling his fingertip on Gilbert's kneecap. "Go on, tell me what you desire."

Gilbert thought about it for a while, just sitting there in the tub with the man of his dreams. He already went this far, why not go a few more steps?

"I want to touch you- ah... actually, I... I want you to touch me." He admitted shyly.

Ivan smiled softly and moved closer. "You're amazing. You're so uncertain but you want this so bad... don't worry, if you tell me to stop, I'll stop."

Gilbert gave a nod.

"Come closer." Ivan instructed, though he moved himself closer to Gilbert instead. He gently slid his hands along Gilbert's legs, causing Gilbert to shiver, but there was a small sound that came from Gilbert's throat and he tensed up.

Ivan continued to smile and he carefully picked the other male up easily, guiding him through the water.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Gilbert tried pulling away but he only slipped. He noticed that Ivan was pulling him into his lap.

"You wanted to be close and touch, so I'm touching. There's no need to be shy, and I promise that you'll be all right."

Gilbert bit his lip nervously, but allowed Ivan to bring him into his lap. He made another, louder, squeak when he felt Ivan's cock rub against his bottom. It made him more scared than nervous now. He always imagined the Prince to be well-endowed but it was always just a fantasy, but there was no mistaking the sheer size of the thing poking against his rear.

"Relax..." Ivan cooed softly, running one hand down the albino's smooth back. He brought the other closer and looked up at him, as Gilbert was now "taller" than him when sitting on his lap. Gilbert looked ever-so-cute when he was this close, naked and blushing up a storm. He was so innocent, but there was a desire within him, a lust for Ivan, and the Prince seemed quite willing.

Ivan leaned up a little and kissed Gilbert's jaw, and then made his way down to his collarbone where he gave a small bite. Gilbert gasped out and suddenly clung to Ivan, wrapping his thin white arms around the Russian's neck. The action actually made Ivan blush softly, he really liked the feeling of Gilbert wrapped around him.

"Was that too much?" Ivan asked. "Tell me if there's something wrong."

Gilbert shook his head and pulled back, looking down at the Prince. "N-No, I'm fine... just not used to any of this." He was still adjusting to the feeling of the other's skin against his.

Ivan smiled and wrapped his arms around the albino's lower back. "Gilbert... you said that you had dreamed of this before..." Gilbert blushed, having an idea of where this was going. "What did you mean? Have you thought about me like this often?"

Gilbert shifted his body subtly, eyes widening when he felt Ivan's semi-erection under him. He finally gave a slow nod. "I've had a thing for you for... months, and I spent a lot of days fantasizing about you, but I never thought I'd ever be in a bath with you like this..."

Ivan kissed Gilbert's jaw. "What else did we do in these fantasies...?" he asked, trying to urge the other to talk, trying to persuade him with more kisses.

Gilbert's cheeks darkened and he buried his face into Ivan's neck, "I don't want to say."

Ivan smiled and hugged tighter around the other. "You seem to be a little more open with me now. I'm glad."

"I have to be. I belong to you." Gilbert mumbled.

The Russian pushed away from him, a bit roughly too. "Did Natalia say that?" Gilbert gave a nod. "What else did she tell you?"

The look on Ivan's face scared him, he looked so angry. "... basically that I have to do whatever you tell me to... if you want to look at me, I have to let you, and... if you want to sleep with me, I have to let you."

Ivan suddenly held Gilbert's chin between his thumb and index finger, looking deep into his eyes. "And you'd do it, wouldn't you?" his voice was laced with sorrow, "You'd let me violate your body whether you wanted it or not, simply because you believe that you belong to me."

Gilbert's eyes widened. It was all true, but it hurt because he was scared. He liked Ivan, and even though it was only physical, he didn't want to have sex with him. Not yet, it was too intimate.

The Russian sighed and rubbed down Gilbert's arms. "I never meant to make you feel like this, I never wanted to own you. So please, don't look at me and see a master, don't even see a Prince..." he leaned in and kissed Gilbert's collarbone and the albino took in a sharp breath when he felt Ivan's teeth graze his skin.

Gilbert closed his eyes and forced himself to think about Ivan's words.

_'Not a master. Not a Prince...'_ he repeated as Ivan made his way further down the albino's chest. _'Not a master. Not a-'_

Gilbert gasped out when Ivan's lips found one of his nipples. The smaller male looked down, watching Ivan at work, licking over the nub several times, and it quickly got his blood flowing. Once it stood up stiffly from Ivan's affections, the Russian chuckled and gave it a small bite, causing Gilbert to make more cute sounds and tighten his arms, and even his legs, around Ivan.

"You're adorable..." Ivan mumbled and rolled the pink nub gently between his lips.

Gilbert's eyes suddenly shot open and he began to push away, he felt Ivan's erection pressing right against his entrance and it scared him too much, he didn't want to let Ivan go there. Unfortunately, Gilbert was already hard as well, and when Ivan pulled him closer, his own erection rubbed against the Russian's stomach, causing him to gasp breathily.

Ivan chuckled, "Shall I take care of that for you?" He asked.

Gilbert shook his head. "No, I don't want to." He refused, looking scared.

The Russian smiled and kissed Gilbert's cheek, "No I know, I don't mean sex. Let me touch you, Gilbert."

Gilbert blushed and shamelessly nodded quickly in agreement; he wanted -maybe even needed- Ivan's touch, and the Russian was more than happy to oblige.

Ivan pushed Gilbert through the water, letting him lean against the side of the tub; he crawled over him, staying between his legs. Carefully, he slid a hand down the albino's pale stomach, passing his navel and heading straight to his groin. Gilbert's body writhed up at Ivan's touch, and he whined softly, he really liked it, and strangely he wasn't that scared anymore, just anxious. He wanted to feel this finally, feel what it was like to be touched like this by Ivan Braginski.

And he didn't have to wait long either. Ivan wasted no time in taking Gilbert's cock into his hand and he began to pump him without any warning or hesitation. Gilbert cried out softly and shivered at the touch but he reveled in it. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back; Ivan took the opportunity to lean down and kissed that exposed white neck.

The kiss made Gilbert breathe out a weak laugh, and it made Ivan smile. "Does it feel good?" He asked.

Gilbert nodded. "Yeah..."

"Good." Ivan then kissed his mouth, and began to pump Gilbert in his hand even faster. As he was kissing him, the albino's mouth instinctively opened, just like Ivan had wanted and he darted his tongue inside, roughly rubbing against the other's. Gilbert twitched again, but let Ivan explore wherever he wanted. Between the tongue massaging his own and Ivan's hand squeezing, stroking, and pinching at his cock, he didn't have a care in the world. He felt fantastic, like nothing could ever feel better than this.

How many times had he dreamt of this?

No, it didn't matter because this was for real, the dreams didn't matter anymore. The Prince was leaning over him, kissing him, making him moan loudly and squirm, twitch and writhe in pleasure, and causing the water to slosh over their bodies, some splashing over the edge of the tub.

They were both in heaven.

Somewhere lost in the haze of pleasure, Gilbert extended his hand out and pressed it to Ivan's chest. The touch didn't stop or falter Ivan in the slightest, though he did wonder what he was doing. Gilbert's hand slid down, and he boldly touched Ivan's erection, like he had a need to touch the other as well.

Ivan smiled into the kiss, loving that Gilbert was doing so on his own. That's what he wanted, for Gilbert to treat him like his partner, not a Prince or a master, and it looks like he got what he wanted - again.

Gilbert opened his eyes and looked at Ivan, and somehow, the look caused Ivan to freeze up. Gilbert looked so anxious, and like he was asking if he could touch him. Ivan blushed softly and took Gilbert into another kiss, and the albino moved his hand down more, and started to give Ivan the same treatment as he was receiving.

The action made Ivan feel different, he had never been touched like this before by anyone and it felt fantastic. He started to blush a little more, but he focused on Gilbert, wanting one more little thing before he made him cum.

As Gilbert's hand pumped Ivan faster, Ivan's movements on him got increasingly more rough and quick. Gilbert cried out several times, moaning with words dancing on his tongue, Ivan wondered what he wanted to say. Beg him for release, maybe? His name? Both?

Ivan moved his lips down the other's jaw, kissing down his neck a little more. "Gilbert, please say my name." he requested, and Gilbert panted out, looking a bit confused.

"W-What...?"

"Say my name, you haven't said it yet. Please..." Ivan gave a soft squeeze to Gilbert's cock, the tightness of which made the albino let out a strangled cry. Ivan went right back to work, picking up the speed of his hand and latching his lips around one of Gilbert's nipples, which he began to rub roughly with his tongue and bite.

Gilbert felt a familiar feeling in his groin as he squirmed subtly under Ivan and his treatment, and he suddenly wrapped his free arm up around Ivan's neck. He tilted his head back as far as it could go and he broke the kiss.

Panting out, "Ivan..." he moaned softly. Ivan stopped for a split second, loving how his name just rolled off of Gilbert's tongue, and seeing the pleasure shining from the albino's expression was a beautiful sight. Then, Gilbert said his name again. Twice turned into thrice. Then, four, five, six-

Ivan lost track of how many times Gilbert said his name, but the tone of his voice was raspy, strangled and desperate, like he was begging Ivan for something unspoken. It made the Russian burn having his name moaned out below him like this, and with one final tight squeeze, Gilbert came under the water.

The albino's body shook with a slight shiver before he relaxed and went limp; still, his thin hand was wrapped around Ivan's thick erection, slowly pumping. Ivan picked him up and brought him back into his lap and held him close, letting Gilbert finish him off. Gilbert rocked his body against the other, making him appear like an imp. Ivan chuckled at the thought.

"Maybe you are a demon, after all." He teased with a husky voice and kissed slowly along Gilbert's wet neck. "A little imp, a devil sent to seduce humans..." he didn't believe a word of what he said, but it was fun to pretend.

Gilbert smiled subconsciously and gave a soft squeeze to Ivan's cock. "Maybe I am... but, I'm all yours." He said.

The words made Ivan blush. _'He's mine...?'_ Ivan thought, and then grinned. He gasped softly, shaking a little when he suddenly reached his climax.

The two sat there for a long time, just leaning onto one another. Gilbert still in Ivan's lap with his legs bent around the larger male, and Ivan with his arms around Gilbert's waist, his finger rubbing circles just above Gilbert's tailbone.

"Want to get out now?" Ivan asked the question he asked earlier, finally asking after who knows how long.

And Gilbert chuckled. "Yeah, I can't do that again right now."

Ivan grinned and picked the other up, and Gilbert wrapped his legs tightly around the Russian as they both were lifted from the water.

"So, you want to do that again?" Ivan asked, inches from Gilbert's face.

The albino arched his back, pressing his chest against the other's and tightened his arms around the other's neck. He gave the Russian a soft kiss, surprising Ivan and actually surprising himself. "Would you judge me if I said 'yes'?" he asked.

Ivan shook his head. "No, because I want to as well." He kissed Gilbert again, holding the naked beauty in his arms. The feeling of their wet bare skin sliding against each other threaten to arouse them again, but soon Ivan broke the kiss and let Gilbert stand on his own.

"Let's get you back to your room in some dry clothing, and wrap your ribs again." Ivan said. Gilbert nodded, agreeing.

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After spending a few minutes drying and dressing himself, Ivan wrapped Gilbert in his cloak again, and escorted him back to his private room. Ivan had lost track of time and didn't realize how long he and Gilbert actually spent in the bath together. It was getting to be around time for dinner, which meant that Ivan would have to leave and eat with his family, and Gilbert would be alone.

He hated what he had to do next.

Once back in the room, Ivan immediately removed Gilbert's robe. It took Gilbert by surprise but he relaxed after a moment, and Ivan just looked at him. After a minute or two, Ivan took one of Gilbert's hands into his and then slid his free hand down the albino's thin arm. He loved how soft Gilbert's skin was, he loved how beautiful Gilbert was. He brought the hand to his lips and gave his wrist a soft kiss. The gesture made Gilbert blush, but it also confused him.

"I have to leave for dinner with my family..." Ivan spoke quietly. "I have to leave you here alone, and a guard will deliver your food, but I'll come back later tonight, I promise."

"It's all right." Gilbert replied simply. He didn't know why Ivan was acting so protective. He's just here for him to look at, so why sound so concerned.

"I'm going to have to put you in irons, like when you first came here." Ivan finally said it, and Gilbert's eyes widened. The words actually hurt Ivan to say. "I don't want to, but if you're not chained when a guard comes with your food, they'll think you've escaped or that I'm being kind to you. I can't risk either."

"I understand." Gilbert agreed sadly. He didn't want to be put in shackles again, but he also didn't want to get hurt or see Ivan in trouble.

Ivan gave Gilbert's wrist another kiss before he led him to the bed; he made him sit as he gathered some more clothing for the albino. He picked out some darker clothing, a tunic and pants and brought them to Gilbert. He retrieved the box of bandages and ointment as well, and applied fresh new bandages to Gilbert's wounds, and even helped him dress. Then, the dreaded moment came.

Ivan picked up a chain that separated into two iron shackles and went to Gilbert. The albino naturally held out his wrists and allowed Ivan to put them on, locking one around each of Gilbert's skinny white wrists. He then clamped the other end of the chain to the bed in the room.

"The chain reaches to the table, and the separate chains allow you to eat..." Ivan knew that his words didn't make the other feel better, but he had to fill the silence; it was eating him alive.

Gilbert assured him, "I'll be fine." Though he was admittedly a little scared.

Ivan brought the man close for a hug and kissed into his hair a few times. Gilbert wished he could hug back, just so he could fully embrace Ivan again. Before it got too hard to leave, Ivan pulled away.

"I'll be back in a few hours." He mumbled, and Gilbert nodded, forcing a smile.

With that, Ivan left. He left and Gilbert sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the iron shackles around his wrists. He pulled his hands apart a little until his skin pressed against the cold, and he sighed. While he was being intimate with Ivan, he didn't feel like a prisoner like he did now, he didn't even feel like an object. He was warm, and Ivan treated him with respect and care, not forceful or anything. The Russian did nothing that Gilbert was uncomfortable with. Because of that, Gilbert started to wonder...

_'Maybe he just wants a friend...'_ he thought, and he suddenly started to remember some of Ivan's words;

_ "I never meant to make you feel like this, I never wanted to own you." _

_ "... don't look at me and see a master, don't even see a Prince..."_

_ "Say my name, you haven't said it yet. Please..."_

_ "Does it feel good?"_

_ "Good."_

Gilbert looked out the window, blushing softly. _'He doesn't just want to look at me, does he?'_ he realized.

The sun flickered through the curtains, and he sighed again. This was a dangerous situation Gilbert had gotten into, and he didn't know what to do. He gazed out the window at the sky that was stained a pinkish-red from the sunset, and waited for the hours to pass.

* * *

I'm having a lot of fun writing this story; I hope you're all enjoying it as well :)  
Looks like Gilbert is coming out of his shell more and trusting Ivan, hm? Gilbert is a rather feisty one once you crack him open and find what makes him tic.

**Author's Notes:**  
•Please do not hate Natalia based on this chapter. She's supposed to be the "spoiled Princess", and she hates that she can't make her brother happy. Give her some time, she'll come around.  
•The entire bath scene in the latter half of this chapter is probably my favorite smut scene that I've ever written. I hope I wrote it how I pictured it in my head, because there's so much emotion happening inside both of them, but only the physical side is showing and I hope I portrayed that well enough.  
•Also, Ivan body-worshipping Gilbert is probably my biggest guilty pleasure and I'm sorry.

—

Thanks for reading, friend.  
If you liked this, please leave a favorite and/or a review. Thank you.


	4. Fear

**[Originally posted: 1/30/2014]**

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******I do not own Hetalia, nor am I making any money off of this or any of my other writings.

**Chapter Warning(s): Soft yaoi, mention of abuse, language, suggestive themes.**

* * *

Every night after dinner, Ivan would return to his chained white angel, free him of his iron bonds and then pleasure him until he would reach his climax - sometimes twice. Each time, Gilbert would be nervous; being chained in bonds for most of the day made him feel like a prisoner, and each time, Ivan would have to sooth him so that he didn't feel like an object, to calm him down. He was nervous, but not long after the red robe that Ivan loved so much came off, and the Russian touched his skin, he'd just melt.

That's what their relationship became, and at first Gilbert enjoyed it, but as the days went on and seemed to get longer; his view on the entire thing began to change. Ivan is gone for most of the day; he visits in the morning and gives him a kiss before going off to breakfast or out on a hunting trip with his father. Then around noon, a guard comes in to deliver his food, but the man always taunts him and tells him how weak of a demon he is to have been chained up like he is.

He started to believe it, that he is a weakling who can't defend himself. Though, what was he _supposed_ to do? _'If I hurt any of them in any way, I'll be executed...'_ he thought and knew for a fact. He just had to sit and take the abuse, but at least it wasn't anything new.

It just hurt because he loves the affection Ivan gives him in the evening. He never wanted Ivan to leave for bed because then morning would come quicker, and then he'd get his kiss, the guard would bring his food and mock him, then hours would pass slowly while staring at the ceiling, and then he'd be naked on his bed again, writhing and moaning under Ivan.

It repeated for 7 full days since the first evening in the bath, though Gilbert was nearly losing track. The days were so long and boring and the ceiling wasn't that great of company. There were days when he sat at the window in his room, looking out over the sunflower field like a Princess awaiting her Prince to rescue her, to take her from her castle and live happily ever after.

He came up with that all on his own and laughed. He practically _was_ a Princess, aside from what was between his legs and the lack of royal blood in his veins. He was small like a woman but it didn't bother him, it allowed him to run from guards easier, and he could duck under and fit inside of things. The insults stopped bugging him after a few years too. Being called feminine or girly, or told that he should be wearing a dress, he didn't care. He could outrun the very guards who say that, and could probably seduce them easily if he tried. The guards are disgusting - anything with a pretty face talks to them and they don't care what's under the robe.

Ivan, though... he seemed very interested in what was under Gilbert's robe. The Russian made an effort to practically worship the albino's body until he subtly asked him to hurry, or until he noticed the pain. Ivan was very gentle and kind, his hands never causing any pain to the other at all. He would always whisper into Gilbert's ear when the albino started to moan out his name, "You're beautiful." He'd say, his voice barely audible over Gilbert's lewd moans. It was a shame that Gilbert began to feel less shameful about, but every morning... he'd feel empty and almost abused.

.

This morning wasn't any different. His eyes slid open to the sun shining brightly into his room and birds chirping happily outside, and earlier this week he would have thought it was beautiful, but this morning it was just old and he wanted it all to go away. He closed his eyes and turned over onto his side.

"Not going to get up?" A voice made his eyes snap open, and Ivan was sitting on a wooden chair next to his bed.

"Ivan?" Gilbert sat up and suddenly realized that the shackles on his wrists were removed. He supported his torso with his elbows and forearms.

"I decided to come earlier to watch you sleep." He smiled, "You move a lot in your sleep."

"That's a little creepy." Gilbert retorted tiredly.

Ivan chuckled and leaned over to him and slid a hand along his jaw, and then kissed his lips softly. "Good morning, Rabbit."

Gilbert tilted his head. "Rabbit?"

The Russian nodded. "It's your new nickname."

"Why...?"

Ivan sat on the bed next to Gilbert. "When I was out hunting with my father a few days ago, I saw this bunny in a field of grass. It was all white with red and pink eyes, and I thought of you, so now I'm calling you Rabbit."

"Did you... kill, this rabbit?" Gilbert asked and Ivan laughed softly.

"No no, I led my father away from it, actually. I couldn't harm such a beautiful creature." He said and stroked Gilbert's cheek with his thumb.

Gilbert flushed in embarrassment; he knew that Ivan was talking about him. It was sweet though, even if a little... cute. Being referred to as a cute little rabbit definitely wasn't very manly, but then again, he wasn't exactly fighting bears and riding horses into battle.

"Anyway, I have some good news." Ivan started and shifted his body on the bed. "My father is going to be gone all day in the next town over until tomorrow morning, which means, most of the guards in the castle will be absent or lazing off on their posts."

"Which means...?" Gilbert inquired further.

"Which means, I can take you out of this room. I can take you to the other floors of the castle, like to the library, or the gardens in the back. I can even take you into town if we disguise you."

Gilbert's eyes widened. "Really? You'll take me into town!?" his face was bright with hope.

"Yes. Is there somewhere you'd like to go?"

"The stable, the one I worked at before." Gilbert answered quickly.

"Really? How come?"

"It's my friend there, Antonio... I bet he's worried about me. The last time I saw him I was being dragged away in irons."

"Is he... a special friend?" Ivan asked, feeling a twinge of jealousy.

"Oh yeah! Me and Toni go way back, about 3 years." He grinned proudly.

"I see... what will he think of what I've been doing to you?"

Gilbert froze, "What? Wait- no I didn't mean- we're not _that_ close, he's just a really good friend! He saved my life, and we just stuck together after that."

"Oh." Ivan felt a bit relieved, but then realized something. "Wait, he saved your life?"

Gilbert looked down. "Yeah... it was a little over 3 years ago."

Ivan's lips turned into a frown, "Would you mind telling me what happened?" He asked.

Gilbert was silent for a moment, and then spoke, "I was in this abandoned farmhouse outside the city, and I hadn't eaten or drank anything in days, I was sick and coughing and basically on my deathbed, and one night there was a storm, which made my condition even worse, and this random guy came into the house. I thought he was going to fuck me and then kill me, but... he sat down next to me, didn't say a single word and just started helping me. He gave me food and water, medicine, clothing, and after a few days I was back on my feet." Gilbert explained.

"What happened after that?" Ivan asked.

"I asked for his name and where he was going. He said his name was Antonio and that he didn't have a destination, that he just wandered from city to city. Somehow he agreed to take me with him, and after being in the city for a few days with him, we decided to just stick together and try to make it here, and we've been together every day for 3 years, literally. Until I was brought here." Gilbert smiled softly.

"... I'm so sorry." Ivan apologized. He rarely knew of the struggles the people had outside the castle.

"That's not even the worst of it. The bad stuff started happening _after_ we decided to stay."

"Like what?"

Gilbert pondered for a moment. "I had the great idea of trying to sell my body for money, but I backed out at the last second and my 'client' got mad, but Antonio hit him with a plank of wood and knocked him out before I got hurt. Toni made me promise never to even think about doing that again, and I never did."

Ivan rubbed Gilbert's arm, "I'm glad."

Gilbert smiled softly. "... And then because we didn't have any money, we'd have to, well... steal bread." He admitted nervously. He was a little worried about what Ivan might think of him stealing. "After about a year, guards started to pick on us, mostly me though because of how I look. They always called me a freak and other nasty things, propositioned me to do disgusting things to them, or to let them fuck me. Antonio always defended me though and kept me as safe as he could. Some days, though, the guards would hit me and take food that we actually earned."

Ivan suddenly hugged around the other, pulling him up more and burying his face into the albino's neck. "You never have to worry about that anymore, you're here now."

Gilbert began to push on the other's chest, "What are you talking about? I... I can't stay here forever, can I?"

"Why not?" Ivan asked, confused.

"Well... you'll eventually get bored of me and I'll either be executed or thrown back out on the street." It wasn't Gilbert talking.

Ivan leaned back a little. "Get bored of you? Gilbert-" He stopped and growled softly. "Never mind. If you want to see your friend, get dressed and meet me at the end of the hall by the stairs in a few minutes." He stood up and left, just like that.

Gilbert felt a large amount of guilt, like he just hurt the other's feelings with his words, but... how long could one look at him before they got bored? He's not a guest in the castle, nor is he Ivan's partner. He's just an object - An object to look pretty for Ivan and to let him touch. That's it.

.

Gilbert dressed quickly and he stood nervously by the door of his room. _'Am I really allowed to leave...?'_ He wondered. He was under a strict order from Ivan to never leave, and even though it was Ivan who said to meet him down the hall, he was hesitant.

His fingers hooked through the handle of the door and he pulled on it, pulling the weight of it toward him. Cold from the hall seeped through the crack and he peeked out. The hall was dark, lit only by a small candle at the end where another hall began. He finally took a step out and pulled the door closed behind him, hearing it latch quietly.

Walking down the hall alone was nerve-wracking, but once at the end, he looked down the other hall and saw Ivan standing at the top of the stairs, waiting. He started toward him, and the Russian looked behind him and smiled.

"You look nervous." Ivan commented.

"A little." Gilbert shrugged. "It's weird being outside of the room for even a second without you by my side."

"How sweet. Don't worry though; we're going to go see my sister so we can find something to disguise you in." Ivan said and then took Gilbert's hand into his, and began going down the stairs.

"Whoa whoa, wait- you don't mean like, a dress, do you?"

"No, maybe a robe with a hood on it, that way people won't see your face or hair."

The albino sighed, a bit relieved. "What about you? Shouldn't you disguise yourself too?"

"Oh I will. I have a face mask and a hood so no one will recognize me." He smiled, and then took a turn down another hall.

Soon Ivan stopped at another door and he knocked. A woman from inside asked who it was and Ivan gave his name. After being allowed entry, Ivan pushed the door open and went inside, pulling Gilbert inside as well.

"Good morning, Natalia." Ivan greeted his little sister who was sitting in a chair in front of a mirror, brushing her hair.

"Good morning." She replied. "I see you've brought your friend."

"Yes... about him, I need a robe with a hood, do you have one he can borrow?"

Natalia froze her movements, and then slowly set down her brush. "What are you doing, Ivan?" she asked.

"I'm taking him outside the castle." The Russian replied bluntly.

"Are you insane!? If father finds out he'll-"

"He _won't_ find out." Ivan stated.

Natalia growled and roughly stood up, nearly knocking her chair backward. "Fine, I'll help you, but only because you- uh ... because I feel bad for making him bleed before." She said.

Gilbert noticed how the Princess covered her words, and he wondered what she was going to say. Natalia went to her wardrobe and began sorting through her clothing.

"Do you have anything in red?" Ivan asked and then looked to Gilbert with a tiny grin, who then blushed softly when he remembered how much Ivan liked red on him.

"No, mostly blues and whites." Natalia replied.

"Either will work."

Natalia sighed and pulled a pale blue robe from the closet and then went to Gilbert. She stood in front of him and gave him an annoyed look, and then held the robe up to him. "It'll fit." She said and then threw the clothing at Gilbert, who stumbled to catch it. "You can keep it when you're done, I don't want it after you've worn it."

"Natalia, be nice. He doesn't have a disease." Ivan groaned lowly.

"That's not what I meant." Natalia's expression was one of slight disgust. She was the only one in the castle that knew of Ivan's carnal ministrations on the albino, and she didn't want anything that he wore. "... where are you taking him anyway?" she asked as Ivan helped the robe over Gilbert's head and over his other clothing.

"To see his friend at the stable." He answered.

"Really?" Natalia sounded surprised. "I thought you didn't want him to see his friends?"

Ivan snapped his eyes to the girl. "I... I don't know what you're talking about."

Natalia understood now. Ivan hadn't told Gilbert anything yet.

"Anyway, thank you for the robe, Natalia, we'll be off now."

The Princess simply gave a nod, and the other two left.

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Back in the hall, Ivan pulled up Gilbert's hood and tucked it around his face. He pushed his hair away too, trying his best to hide the strands of white inside the hood.

"How are we going to get out of the castle without guards seeing you?" Gilbert asked.

Ivan led Gilbert down another hall. "There's a secret exit that's never guarded, it comes out by the river on the other side of the castle so we'll have to do some walking to get back into town, but we shouldn't run into any guards that way." He explained.

Gilbert simply nodded and let Ivan lead him away.

After going down a few more flights of stairs and sneaking passed a guard who had fallen asleep on duty, they came to a dead end. Ivan went up to the wall and pushed on it, grunting softly before the wall began to move. He gestured for Gilbert with his hand as the wall opened and light shone through, and Gilbert squeezed his body through the small opening, stepping outside for the first time in over a week.

An awestruck "Wow." escaped his lips as he looked up into the sky and watched white clouds gliding across blue.

"It's been a while since you've felt the breeze, hasn't it?" Ivan asked and then gently took Gilbert's hand.

The albino nodded. "Yeah... I almost forgot what it felt like." He smiled.

Ivan loved that smile on Gilbert; it looked so genuine and natural. "Well, go on; show me to your former workplace."

Gilbert looked at Ivan for a moment, and then took a step. He slowly made his way down the small hill that led down to the river, and then he let go of Ivan's hand so he could jump over it. He turned and looked back at Ivan who was standing on the other side watching him.

"You could run, you know." Ivan said, smiling softly.

Gilbert's eyes widened and he looked baffled. "I don't want to run." He stated simply and then held out his hand, and he smiled. "Come on."

Ivan blushed softly. He may not be embarrassed about showing his body or being intimate with Gilbert, but when the albino acted so adorable like this, he felt a part of him melt. He jumped over the river, gripping onto Gilbert's extended hand as he landed. He suddenly leaned down and gave the other a kiss, tilting Gilbert's head up a little. After a moment he finally pulled away.

"Thank you." He smiled and then began to pull a black cloth up around his face, and then pulled his own hood up.

Gilbert laughed, "You look like a thief."

"So I don't look like a Prince?"

"Not at all." Gilbert chuckled.

"Good." Ivan stated simply and then took Gilbert's hand back into his, "Shall we go?"

Gilbert paused for a moment and then gently wrapped his fingers around Ivan's hand, and started to walk.

.

The albino knew exactly where he was going. After hopping the small river, he led Ivan up a small dirt path that connected into one of the main roads. He passed several buildings that he remembered from living in town, and everything seemed much... different, now that he had lived in the castle.

One would think that after living in the castle, life outside it would seem dull and poor, but not to Gilbert, he missed the dirt roads, the smell of the bakeries. He missed not having to sleep with iron shackles around his wrists. He tried to weigh out the good and bad of living in the castle, and the only good thing he could think of was that he got to be touched by the man he's dreamed of for months, but... even that wasn't a good thing. It wasn't real. There wasn't anything except lust between them, and Gilbert wasn't even sure if Ivan felt lust per say, he didn't really want Gilbert to touch him back, it was more just a want to touch something pretty. The more Gilbert thought about how pretty Ivan thought him to be, the more disgusting and ugly he felt.

Gilbert's walking pace slowed as he thought about this. He felt sick, like he was going to vomit. In a way, he went against what Antonio made him promise not to do ever again, and even though this wasn't exactly selling his body to Ivan, he was still using it in exchange for food, clothes, and shelter. He hoped that he wouldn't have to tell Antonio anything, but... how could he not? He's his best friend and is bound to ask questions.

"Gilbert?" Ivan stepped closer to the albino. He had noticed how Gilbert's feet started stepping in random places and he was looking at the ground for the last minute or so. "Are you all right? You're quiet."

Gilbert took in a sharp breath, "I'm... worried." He admitted.

"Worried? About what?"

"Well... Antonio will want to know why I've been taken to the castle. If he finds out the reason why you want me there, he'll get mad, and that won't be good for his safety." Gilbert explained. It wasn't the reason why he had been so quiet, but now that he thought about it, this _did_ worry him. Antonio was a tame and peaceful guy - until someone threatened or actually hurt Gilbert.

"I see..." Ivan looked down, and squeezed Gilbert's hand in his. "Well, if he does get angry, then let him. He has every right to, considering that I took his friend away. I won't have him arrested if he says or does anything, but... I won't allow him to take you back, do you understand?"

Gilbert swallowed roughly. The tightness of Ivan's hand scared him, and so did his tone of voice. Ivan was so possessive over him, and it wasn't in a romantic way. It was unhealthy and terrifying when Gilbert really thought about it. Still, there was something about Ivan that Gilbert was attracted to; he just wished he wasn't just an object to him. But... what was Ivan to Gilbert? Gilbert didn't love him, not even close. He had sexual feelings for him, but so did a lot of people; Ivan is known for being handsome and mysterious, which was a huge turn on for many, and Gilbert used to like that mystery too, but now that he knew Ivan's likes, which were basically just Gilbert himself, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know what else Ivan was into.

"Yeah, I understand." Gilbert mumbled.

Ivan watched the other's expression, he could tell that something was bothering the albino, but he couldn't tell what. It could be a number of things, and that worried Ivan. "Are we almost there?" He asked.

Gilbert gave a weak nod. "Just around this next corner."

.

Gilbert pulled Ivan around said corner and his eyes landed on the familiar stable area. As he got closer, he saw the horse that he used to feed and pet every day. His lips pulled up into a smile upon seeing them, and Ivan caught sight of it. It was a beautiful smile.

The albino stopped and looked around, looking for his brown haired friend. Soon his eyes landed on a man in ragged clothing messing with some saddle gear inside the stable area.

"Antonio!" Gilbert called out, and the brunet turned his head, looking around curiously for who said his name.

Antonio's eyes landed on Gilbert's face and recognized him instantly. "Gil...? Gilbert!?" He shouted and then dropped the saddle in his hands, and started running toward him.

Gilbert pulled his hand out of Ivan's and ran toward Antonio as well, leaving Ivan standing alone and feeling strangely... rejected. The way Gilbert pulled away from him so quickly made him realize how little he actually meant to Gilbert. Antonio was far more important to him. He watched as Gilbert got farther and farther away from him, and he hated it, and then, the two men hugged each other tightly. Antonio laughed wholeheartedly and actually picked Gilbert up, spinning him around a little.

The bright smile on Gilbert's face was like a rusty dagger into Ivan's heart, and then the laugh that came from him felt like someone twisted the dagger deeper. Why did he care so much? He just... had never seen Gilbert smile so brightly, not even once. He tried so hard to make Gilbert comfortable in his new home, but he couldn't provide the comfort of a friend. Even if Ivan told him he was a friend, Gilbert would not likely believe it.

"What on earth happened to you!?" Antonio asked, looking frantically at Gilbert, who was strangely dressed in a beautifully sewn dress, or... robe?

"Uh, well I..." Gilbert mumbled nervously and looked back to Ivan. The Russian then walked over and looked to Gilbert. Antonio watched the stranger curiously, wondering why the man had his face covered like it was. "Am I allowed to tell him...?" Gilbert asked.

"I don't see why not. He's your friend, and you said he would be worried." Ivan said.

Gilbert gave a smile toward Ivan and then turned back to Antonio. "Well, Toni... this is Prince Ivan." He stated.

Antonio froze instantly, only his eyes moving by shifting from Gilbert to the supposed Prince. "You're... kidding, right?"

Gilbert shook his head from side to side and then looked up at Ivan. The Russian stepped a little closer and then pulled his mask down to reveal his face.

Antonio's eyes widened, looking terrified. "I... I don't understand. Rumors have been spreading that Prince Ivan has found a new pet..." He glanced to Gilbert. "Gil... are _you_ the pet?"

"No, he's not." Ivan spoke up, sounding defensive. "It's true that I had him brought to the castle, but he's my guest, not a pet nor anything else."

Antonio's eyes lit with a small fire. "You're not... hurting him, are you?"

Gilbert suddenly stepped between the other two men, and he held his hands in front of him to gesture Antonio to calm down. "No, Toni listen, I'm fine, really. Ivan's been extremely nice." He reassured the brunet.

Antonio looked at Gilbert, but something was different in the albino's expression. Suddenly, he grabbed one of Gilbert's wrists and looked at it. "Then what are these marks around your wrists?" He asked, and Gilbert tensed slightly, "Is he tying you up? What has he been doing to you? Is he forcing himself on you-"

"No!" Gilbert shouted and yanked his arm from Antonio, and nearly fell backward. Ivan caught him and gently held onto his arms. "He's not like that, Antonio!"

"Then why do you have bruises around your wrists!?"

"For safety purposes! It's so I don't get executed-!"

Ivan suddenly covered Gilbert's mouth, "Please don't speak so loudly." He requested and slipped his hand away.

"Right... sorry." Gilbert apologized. "Listen Antonio. I'm suspected of being a demon, remember? That's what my "crime" was when I went to the castle, but Ivan just wanted me there, but the guards and other royal family still think I'm a demon, so... I have to wear shackles when Ivan isn't around, because if a guard sees me without them on, they'll think I've escaped and have me killed. Do you see?" He asked, hoping that his friend would understand how dangerous it was for him.

"... I don't like it, but... if it means you stay alive." Antonio said, reluctantly accepting.

"I won't let him die." Ivan said, gripping onto Gilbert's shoulder's a bit tighter.

"Don't tell me that. If it wasn't for you dragging him to your stupid castle, he wouldn't have to live in fear every day." Antonio retorted. Ivan's eyes widened slightly, realizing that it was extremely true. "Why did you even take him anyway?"

Ivan froze up, and Gilbert blushed and looked down. There was a pause before the Russian answered. "I like him, and I want to get to know him, so I had him brought to me so that I could."

"And?"

"And... and I... I like him?"

"You like him." Antonio repeated. "Do you like him, or do you like his body?"

Gilbert's cheeks turned a little darker. Antonio knew that people often thought Gilbert was alluring and attractive, so of course he accused Ivan of it as well. In this case, he was right on target.

"Can't I like both?" Ivan asked, holding Gilbert close to him.

Antonio crossed his arms. "Usually people don't."

"Please don't compare me to the guards. I would never hurt Gilbert, and I never do anything to him that he doesn't want." Ivan stated.

Gilbert suddenly turned around and looked at Ivan, his face burning a deep red. His eyes were wide, and he was clearly embarrassed. Ivan knew _exactly_ what his expression was saying.

"Wait, so you've... _done_ stuff to him?" Antonio asked, looking a little mortified.

Gilbert turned his head to look at the brunet, looking embarrassed and guilty.

"Oh." Antonio's mouth stayed in the shape of an _O_ for a few seconds. "Like... like, sexually?"

Ivan smiled and gripped Gilbert's shoulder a little tighter. "Why don't the two of you spend some time together and talk? I think it'd be good." He said suddenly, trying to change the subject.

Gilbert glanced up to him, "Really? It's all right?"

Ivan nodded. "I'll be back in an hour or so, and we'll go back to the castle." He smiled and then glanced to Antonio. "I trust that you'll let him come back?"

Antonio swallowed dryly. "Yes sir, thank you." He bowed slightly and then turned to Gilbert and held out his hand. "Shall we go?" he asked.

Gilbert looked at the hand extended to him and then back to Ivan, who simply nodded with a smile. Gilbert then turned back to his friend and took his hand, and was led over to the stable.

Ivan sighed softly and pulled his mask up, and then made his way to the stable house; he had some other business here.

.

Ivan opened the door, causing a small bell to ring above his head. He glanced around and then heard a voice.

"You lookin' for a horse?" a man said, he had just walked through a door-frame behind the counter.

"No, I'm looking for the man who owns this stable. That would be you, I presume?" Ivan walked over to him.

The man gave him a strange look, between disgusted and confused. "Yeah. If you're not lookin' for a horse, why are you here?"

Ivan grit his teeth behind his mask. "I heard that you used to treat a man named Gilbert Beilschmidt like a slave while he worked here." The man's eyes widened when he heard Gilbert's name. "And also that you don't pay Antonio what he deserves." Ivan leaned forward on the counter, making the man move back a little in fear. Ivan shifted his purple eyes up to him, and then pulled a small gold coin out of his pocket and roughly set it onto the counter with a ringing tap. "Give this to Antonio. It'll allow him to pay for rooms and food at any inn in the city for free, courtesy of the King." He said.

The man looked down at the coin, noticing the intricate emblem of a shield and crown on the gold. The coin was only held by the royal family and those they see fit to call friends. As soon as he realized this, he stood up straight. He was in the presence of royalty.

"Now, can I trust that you'll give this to Antonio?"

The man nodded.

"Do I have to pay you to keep your silence about my visit?"

The man shook his head quickly.

"Good. Then I'll be off." Ivan tipped his head a little to the man and made his way to the door; he opened it and then stopped. "Oh, and if you ever treat Gilbert or Antonio horribly again, I'll have you exiled from the city. Do you understand?"

The man nodded again. "Y-Yes sir."

Ivan left without another word, and the man fell back into his chair, taking a deep breath. He was lucky to even be alive.

.

"So, he just has you there so he can look at you?" Antonio asked, rocking his cup around so that the liquid inside twirled along the sides.

"Pretty much." Gilbert said simply and took a drink.

"Does he... touch you?" Antonio watched Gilbert shift in his chair.

"Yeah..." the albino answered, but then gasped softly when he realized how that must have sounded. "B-But it's all consensual, I promise. He isn't assaulting me."

"I see... well, that's better then. Still... it's a bit strange, isn't it?"

Gilbert shrugged. "Ivan is a strange guy. He says that I'm beautiful and that all I have to do is let him look at me, but..." he glanced down at his hands, "when he touches me, he seems so... sad. He's careful, and slow, and looks at me differently. A few days ago, we took a bath together and-"

"You took a _bath_ with him!?" Antonio yelled in a hushed tone, looking utterly shocked.

Gilbert blushed dark and his eyes were wide. "Um... yes?"

"Wow... sorry it's just a little surprising, that you would let yourself be naked with him."

"It's not like that, I-... I have to do as he says. I'm not a guest, I'm a prisoner." He gripped his cup tightly. "I mean... I wanted to. He asked if he could join me and I said yes, but he confronted me about why I did, and he made me realize that I think I belong to him... he won't hurt me, but he's still royalty. I have to listen to him, right?"

"No." Antonio jutted in quickly. "You don't have to let him do anything to you. Say no if you don't want him to."

Gilbert let out a soft chuckle. "But I _do_ want him to. I want to be touched and kissed by him. It's so warm there, and safe."

"It sounds like you like the safety of being there, not actually him." Gilbert glanced up to his friend. "I know you've had a huge thing for him for months, but it's not love, not even close. You like his touch because it's safe and something you've dreamed of having, and he looks at you like a statue come to life that he can play with as he pleases... I don't want you to give your body to him, which he will want if this goes on longer." Antonio's eyes were sad.

"I know... but, it's my body, right?"

"No. It's his."

Gilbert's eyes widened and he looked back down. "I guess you're right... but, I think I'm okay with that."

"Gilbert..." Antonio breathed out sadly; he couldn't believe Gilbert was saying this.

"I'm sorry Antonio. I know you hate the idea of me having sex with someone who I don't love, but... if it's not him, it's going to be some horny guard who I really don't like, and Ivan is kind, and he'd be gentle with me, so..."

"That's still not a reason to let him fuck you!"

Gilbert's face flushed but he grit his teeth. "Who said I'm just going to let him!?"

"If he tells you to spread your legs, there's no way you'll resist him! He's a _royal_, Gilbert!" Antonio yelled, "I can tell that you're _terrified_ of him, I can see it in your eyes. You won't do a single thing that he doesn't approve of!" The brunet stood up and growled down at Gilbert, but he was sad - sad and hurt that his best friend was in this situation. He hated that Gilbert was owned by Ivan, and no matter how gentle Ivan may be, he still belongs to him, and that was no way for a little bird like Gilbert to live. Gilbert was not meant to be caged with clipped wings, he was meant to be free, and that's what he was when he was with Antonio.

Gilbert shakily set down his cup and stood up. "I'm... going to go. I'm sorry, Antonio." He said and began to walk away. Suddenly he felt two arms wrap around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Gil, please take care of yourself. Please stay alive." Antonio's voice was tight, like he was about to cry.

"I'll try my best, but you really should be thanking Ivan for keeping me safe. If it weren't for him, I'd probably have broken ribs, or been executed by now."

Antonio sighed, tightening his arms. "All right... but if any harm comes to you, I'm holding him responsible."

Gilbert smiled softly, and just as he opened his mouth to speak again, Ivan came around the side of the stable building. Antonio heard the footsteps and looked up, and then let go of Gilbert once he saw Ivan.

"Are you ready to go back, Gilbert?"

Gilbert nodded weakly and turned around to face Antonio. "It was great seeing you again."

The brunet nodded, looking sad that their few hours were up. Gilbert gave a soft smile and then hugged his friend tightly. He went to Ivan afterward and then waved back at Antonio as he walked away.

.

Soon Gilbert was back in his room, back in irons, lying on his bed alone in his white gown again. Ivan was with his sister and mother, eating, and a guard had recently dropped off his own food, which he had not touched at all. He didn't feel like eating, he felt sick.

Everything Antonio said was starting to get to him. When he first came to the castle, Ivan wanted to look at him, but almost instantly wanted to kiss him, and when Gilbert allowed it, he wanted to do more. He took a bath with him and now they kiss and touch each other every night, and they were heading right for what Gilbert was afraid of.

Sex sounded terrifying to him; being repeatedly thrust into, especially since they're both men. He had heard that it hurt like hell, and it didn't help that Ivan was so large and he himself so small. He didn't want to bleed or rip, and what would happen to his insides? He had no idea. He tried to imagine that it would be fine, or that he wouldn't have to do it at all, but he knew that Ivan wanted to touch him, and Gilbert himself couldn't control his lust when it came down to it. He'd get lost in Ivan's touch, and he'd let it happen, until it was too late and he couldn't back out. He knew this, and he knew that he'd do it, and that's what scared him.

Hours passed and the night had taken over the land, and Ivan wandered back into Gilbert's room. The albino was lying on his bed, on his side and facing away from the door. Ivan looked to the untouched tray of food on the table, and wondered if Gilbert was sick. He did seem awfully quiet today.

_'What's troubling you...?'_ he asked to himself, and then quietly shut the door.

Not quiet enough, and Gilbert jumped up, pushing his body off the bed using his hands, the iron chains clanging together slightly. Ivan hated how quickly he jumped up, like he was scared.

"You didn't eat any of your food." The Russian commented. "Is something wrong?"

Gilbert sat up more and let his legs hang off of the side of the bed, and looked down at his hands. "I felt sick, so I didn't eat."

"I see..." Ivan went closer and stood in front of the albino, and then carefully slid a couple fingers along Gilbert's jaw, bringing pink eyes up to meet his purple ones. "What's troubling you?" He asked.

Gilbert's eyes narrowed a little, his eyebrows knitting together with worry. "... Antonio just... said a lot of things. I've had a lot on my mind today, and it's all making me feel sick."

"Then talk to me. Holding it in won't help." Ivan offered his ear. He pulled a key from his pocket and then unlocked the shackles around Gilbert's wrists. "Tell me what's been on your mind." He requested and sat next to the albino.

Gilbert shifted his eyes away and fiddled his fingers together in his lap. "Well... first, there's what your sister said this morning; about how you didn't want me to see my friends." He said and looked to the Prince. "Why?"

Ivan took in a breath. "... I mentioned before that I lied to my father to get you here... he offered to bring your friends to the castle as stable-hands, as to not anger the demon. I told him that bringing a demon's friends would increase the chances of an escape, so only you were brought here." He explained. "I was selfish, and I only wanted you."

Gilbert's eyes went a little wide, but he wasn't too surprised. Ivan was possessive over him - of course he didn't want Antonio here. "I see..."

"Is there anything else bothering you?"

Gilbert drew his bottom lip in and bit it, a gesture that Ivan noticed and took as an answer to his question.

"Gilbert, talk to me."

"I'm scared." The words came out in a nervous whisper and were laced with uncertainty.

"Of what?" Ivan urged him to continue.

"... of you."

"Me?" Ivan's voice rose slightly in surprise. "Have I done something that frightened you?"

"No... it's just..." Gilbert's face flushed red, and Ivan noticed it as well. "We've been getting really touchy lately, y'know? And I- ... at first you just wanted to look, but now you want to touch. We're bathing together, and doing things every night, and... soon we'll..." he shifted his weight uncomfortably, causing the bed to move slightly.

Ivan tilted his head a little to look at the other more. "Gilbert... are you afraid of having sex?"

Gilbert tensed but he nodded slowly.

The Russian sighed softly. "Gilbert, I told you when you came here that I would not hurt you or make you work, and I also said that I wouldn't touch you if you didn't want me to. Even if I eventually want sex, if you don't, say so. If I don't back off, hit me." Gilbert's eyes shot open and he looked at Ivan. "Even if I'm a royal, it won't excuse me if I try to take your innocence." He said, and then chuckled. "But, I guess if I'm to be punished for taking things that aren't mine, you owe me a punch or slap, seeing as I took you from your home."

Gilbert stared for a few moments, and then brought his hand up, and tapped it against Ivan's cheek. "There."

Ivan blinked down at Gilbert, and then smiled softly. "You're adorable, but thank you." He leaned in and kissed Gilbert's forehead. "Remember that I won't ever try to force you to have sex with me. I... I think it would be great, but I don't want you to be scared when or if we do it." Ivan felt his cheeks warm up slightly at his confession. Gilbert would probably be _fantastic_ in bed. He's so shy and cute, but he was deprived and lustful for Ivan, and that made him feisty and determined once he opened up. The thought sent blood straight to Ivan's cock, and he felt terrible for that.

"Thanks..." Gilbert mumbled. "Listen, I had an emotional day, so... could I skip out on our nightly routine tonight?" He asked, "I'll make it up to you tomorrow night." He promised, blushing softly and looking a bit shy.

Ivan pressed his lips to Gilbert's forehead again, dragging them down to his pale pink lips for a sweet and simple kiss. "Of course. Get some rest, and I'll see you in the morning." He stood up, and went to the door. He smiled back at the albino sitting in his thin white gown, and he couldn't help himself from thinking how beautiful and handsome Gilbert was. There was just something so... magical about him, so special.

"Goodnight, Rabbit." He whispered softly, and then closed the door and locked it.

Gilbert sighed, blushing softly and then laid down, resting his head against the pillow. He felt like he had accomplished nothing. Even if Ivan said to say no to him, who's to say that he _would_ say no? Gilbert was scared that he lacked self-control because he wanted Ivan so badly. He had dreamt of him for so long, and to actually have those hands touching him, to be able to touch that body that no one else knew what looked like - it made him burn with lust, and he hated it. There was no danger to it back in town; Ivan was just a dream, the fantasies were harmless, but now... now they had meaning, and he was absolutely terrified.

* * *

Well, Antonio had a rather important scene in this chapter. Also, things are going to start getting kind of... bad, for Gilbert soon.

**Author's Notes:**  
•It's heavily hinted that Antonio loves or has loved Gilbert, and it's true. It's a bit of a side plot that doesn't get much attention but it's still there. 3 years of seeing each other everyday, helping and surviving off of each other - he fell in love, but Gilbert never noticed it nor returned those feelings. That's why Antonio is so upset, not because he can't have Gilbert, but because he knows that Gilbert doesn't love Ivan, nor does Ivan love Gilbert.

—  
Thanks for reading, friend.  
If you liked this, please leave a favorite and/or a review. Thank you.


	5. The Truth

**[Originally posted: 2/14/2014]**

Sorry this chapter took so long. I kind of hit a writer's block and had some trouble writing anything for a while, but here it is now.

.

******I do not own Hetalia, nor am I making any money off of this or any of my other writings.

**Chapter Warning(s):** Soft yaoi, angst, minor abuse, minor non-con, minor blood.

* * *

Despite his fears and anxieties over everything, Gilbert didn't stop Ivan from touching him at all; it was the only comfort he received, and he didn't want to lose it. He still allowed the nightly visits and fully enjoyed each one, after being reassured, of course. It was still the same routine - Ivan would visit after everyone else had gone to bed, and touch him until he was too tired to continue. He only used his hands, which was fine for Gilbert; he didn't need, or even want, anything else.

Gilbert seemed to shut himself away a little, though. He rarely spoke up unless he was spoken to, and whenever Ivan said something nice to him, he'd just look down at his hands or the floor. Ivan didn't notice it until a few days ago when he called Gilbert beautiful, like he usually did, and he just turned away. He still blushed, but it wasn't the usual shyness that he normally portrayed; he didn't smile or say thank you. He seemed almost _scared_ to accept the compliment.

It had been roughly a fortnight since Gilbert was brought to the castle, and they've become extremely familiar with each other, but it was mostly Ivan who knew everything about Gilbert's body; each spot that made his body jolt with pleasure, what he liked most or didn't like so much. He practically knew it all. However, there was one part of him that he knew nothing about - His heart.

Ivan thought he was being ridiculous, but it bothered him a lot that Gilbert had changed. He liked when the albino had opened up a little to him during that first week, but in the recent week, his attitude changed drastically. He had become more timid than usual, and didn't even seem excited to be intimate with Ivan anymore. Ivan realized that he wanted to make Gilbert feel good, not to give him comfort, but to simply make him feel good, to make him _happy_, and when Ivan realized that, he started to feel absolutely terrible.

For 2 weeks, Ivan had tried so hard to make Gilbert comfortable, giving him the affection he's always wanted and making sure he was healthy, but it was his mind that suffered. Gilbert felt like a prisoner who was tortured, the pleasure of intimacy only lasted for a few minutes, and then he felt hollow and used because there was nothing left after that high.

Antonio was right before. If Ivan would have left Gilbert alone to begin with, he would never have become this shell of what he used to be, living in fear everyday, and accepting Ivan's touch not because he wanted it, but because he knew he had to, and it was the only comfort he had and he was clinging to it more out of desperation than desire.

It was a terrible thing for Ivan to realize. He didn't know how to fix it, or even if he could. Gilbert was scared to deny him, scared to speak, scared of everything - and it was all Ivan's fault.

.

Ivan wanted to be left alone today. He didn't even want to see Gilbert. He was so ashamed and nervous to see him that it stopped him from even getting out of bed. It was pathetic and he knew it.

He heard a knock at his door, and he growled lowly. Then, the person knocked again.

"Ivan, it's Natalia. I'm coming in." His door opened, and his sister came in, closing the door behind her.

"What do you want?" Ivan asked in annoyance, just wanting to be alone.

"I have a letter for you." She said and sat on Ivan's bed next to the lump of blankets covering her brother. "It's from father, about that Princess..."

Ivan's eyes shot open and he suddenly sat up and took the paper from Natalia's hands. He ripped the seal off and opened it, and began to read. Life seemed to drain from his features as his eyes trailed from one side of the page to the other, and soon he clenched his fists tightly, crumbling the paper in his hand.

"What happened?" Natalia asked.

"Father, he's... arranged for the Princess to come here... he wants us to meet, so that I can decide if I want to marry her or not." He explained and held his face in his hands.

"But... what about Gilbert?" the Princess asked, and Ivan looked up at her with a confused expression. "Oh come on, Ivan. You can't _really_ expect me to believe that there's nothing going on between you two." She raised an eyebrow.

Ivan blushed softly and looked away. "It's... just physical, that's all."

"I don't buy that. The way you talk about him, even when father asks about him, I can tell you feel something. You may have brought him here just to look at him, but you fancy him now, don't you?"

"What does it matter if I do?" Ivan growled. "He's a prisoner, and a peasant, not to mention a man."

"So?"

"It's not acceptable, on any level. I'm a Prince, and I am to marry a Princess." He said, repeating what his father would tell him when he was a boy.

"But that's not what you want, and surely it's not what Gilbert wants."

Ivan looked into his sister's eyes, noticing a sense of sincerity in her blue irises. "Gilbert is afraid of me, he hates being here. There's no way he feels for me."

"You won't know until you find out from him." Natalia sighed, "Sadly, father has probably already sent word for the Princess, so you have to deal with her."

"I can't get out of it, I'll have to make nice for a few days and then just say I don't want to marry her." Ivan rubbed his temple, thinking.

"Do you think Gilbert will be angry about it?"

Ivan glanced up to her, "About what?"

"That you'll have to be with the Princess."

"No... I don't think so... I mean, it's not like we're lovers or anything."

"Hm... right." She didn't believe him. "Well, get up and get ready for breakfast. Father also wants to go hunting with you again." She said, and Ivan stood up.

"Great, he's probably going to rant to me about all of this too." He groaned, "Natalia, I know you don't want to but could you maybe-"

"Look after Gilbert?" She finished for him. "Yeah, I can spare a few hours." She gave a weak smile. She still had her problems with Gilbert, but she saw how happy he made Ivan, before today that is, so the albino couldn't be all that bad.

Ivan smiled in relief. "Thank you. Some of the guards have been getting rowdy with him. Gilbert told me a few days ago that one of them actually spit on him." He sighed. "They're stupid, considering they all think he's a demon, but... I want someone who won't hurt or mock him there, at least for a little bit. Promise you won't make him bleed again?"

Natalia smiled softly, "I promise, but, Ivan..." she paused. "be careful what you say about Gilbert. You tend to sound affectionate when speaking of him, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you why that's bad - for him."

Ivan nodded. "I know, I'll try to be careful."

Natalia nodded simply and then turned to leave.

.

Ivan dressed himself for meeting with his father, who was already in the dining hall waiting for his son. He noticed when Ivan came into the room and laughed happily, and placed his cup of wine onto the table.

"Ah! There you are, Ivan! I've been waiting. I trust that Natalia gave you my letter." Ivan gave a single nod. "Wonderful, we have much to discuss then."

Ivan pulled a chair out next to his father and sat down. "Usually you would run something like this by me before making plans. I'm quite busy lately."

"With what? The demon? Please, let the guards watch him for a while, Ivan, you need some fresh air and a change of company." The King said and picked up his cup of wine again. "Besides, you yourself said it wouldn't hurt to get to know the Princess."

Ivan bit his lip, he _did_ say that some odd number of days ago and was now regretting it. "That's true..."

"Anyway, I have word that she'll be arriving this afternoon. So, what say you join me on a hunting trip, and then when we return, you can make yourself up nice for meeting your future bride, and then take her out and treat her nice." The older man smiled.

"And if I don't like her?"

"You _make_ yourself like her. Your mother and I fought constantly during the first year of our marriage, but, you sacrifice for the Kingdom." He said. "She's the best suitor for you, and she's very pretty. She'll give you beautiful children."

Ivan growled to himself. The idea of marrying someone he doesn't love seemed so unfair, not just to him, but to the other person as well. He couldn't see himself marrying at all, becoming King, much less being a father.

However... it didn't look like simply saying 'no' would end this marriage; the King seemed hell-bent on seeing his son married to this woman, and sooner than he had thought as well.

"I know it's not what you want, Ivan, but soon you'll have to take the throne, and you shouldn't be wasting your time with some demon. I hear that he's become docile, almost seeming comfortable. I fear he may be trying to seduce you." The king took a drink of his wine.

"I highly doubt that. The demon simply knows he faces the rope if he acts out." Ivan said, though it left a strange taste in his mouth. Natalia told him to watch his tongue around the King, so he had to pretend to dislike Gilbert, when in reality it was just the opposite; he quite liked Gilbert, actually. "To be honest... there's something that's been bothering me..." Ivan started again.

"Hm? And what's that?" The King turned his head to look at his son.

Ivan leaned onto the table a little, thinking out his lie in his head. "Well... he was brought here under the suspicion of being a demon, not actual proof; otherwise he'd be rotting in a shallow grave somewhere." His stomach turned a little at the thought. His father narrowed his eyes curiously. "I've tried some things with him, to see if he'd have a reaction that a demon would - mentioning god, putting crosses near him, reciting exorcisms, that sort of thing, but... nothing. He just stares at me in confusion, almost looking frightened."

The King mimicked Ivan's action and leaned onto the table as well. "That is interesting... perhaps he's stronger than we thought?"

"I doubt it. Why would he continue to be locked in irons if he could easily break them?" Ivan replied. He was extremely curious of why everyone was so certain that Gilbert was some evil demon. He just didn't understand it. The man was sweet and kind, and so incredibly cute. There wasn't a drop of evil in his veins.

"Maybe he wants something. The throne, maybe?" The King suggested, looking at the younger male.

"For what? You think one tiny demon can control this entire town if he wipes out the royal family? He'd be executed before he could even blink."

"That's very true..." the man sighed, "Well, regardless, I still think it would be best to distance yourself from him. Demons are known for their seduction, and I believe he may be enticing some of the guards even."

Ivan's eyebrows rose up. "Excuse me?" This knowledge was something Ivan could not ignore. If guards were telling lies, things could get very bad for Gilbert very quickly.

"Some of the guards who bring him his food, they've been telling me how... alluring he is. That he's as pale as the moon with eyes of ruby, they seem almost entranced when speaking of him."

"His skin is mostly white, yes, but his eyes aren't red, their pink." Ivan corrected in annoyed tone.

"You've seen them up close then?"

"Yes, I've examined nearly every inch of him during my tests. He also bleeds, he sustains injuries, and he definitely feels pain." Ivan noticed that his words made his father grin slightly, and he didn't even want to know what horrible things the King imagined his son doing to Gilbert.

"I see... be careful though, demons are known for their deception." He said and took a drink.

"I think you should worry more about your guards. They've been getting close to him, even after I ordered all guards to not even enter the hall to his room."

"Yes, well, I just figured you'd like some extra security."

"That's not necessary. He's my project, remember?" Ivan growled softly. "You told me that if he hurt anyone, I'd be responsible. Well I'm not taking the blame if one of your incompetent guards gets killed by a demon that he was told to stay away from in the first place."

The King sighed. "Very well then, I see your point. I'll make sure none of them go near that room." He said, though reluctantly. "Now, what say we end this talk of demons, eat, and then go out for a hunt?" He suddenly smiled proudly toward his son.

Ivan simply nodded, not being able to deny his father. He was scared of the guard situation. Right now, Natalia was up there with Gilbert, and guards could not disobey her, but Natalia had other things that kept her busy. Gilbert would be left alone soon enough.

Somehow, Ivan thought it was too convenient that his father suddenly dropped all of this on him just after Gilbert arrived. It was like he was trying to keep Ivan away from Gilbert by shoving a Princess between them; and sadly, it's working.

The room fell silent aside from the soft clanking of eating utensils. Ivan felt a tension in the air, though he started to think it was his own anxiety about the whole situation with Gilbert. He tried to think of something, but all he could do was hope that the guards would leave him alone. It didn't seem likely though, since they had started to mess with him recently, like their fear of him had faded.

Ivan quickly finished his food, wanting nothing more than to just get out of this silence. "May I be excused? I'd like to prepare myself for our hunt." He looked toward his father.

The King gave a small nod. "I'll meet you in the courtyard in a few minutes."

Ivan stood up after that, and left the room as quickly as he could.

After the door of the dining room shut, The King narrowed his eyes on the door, and then waved over one of the guards. Not just any guard, though, the Captain of the guard.

A man dressed in finely crafted steel walked over, holding a matching steel helmet under his arm. The King looked up at him for a moment and then to his cup of wine. "I want you to look after our demon guest, regardless of what my son says. If Natalia is there, excuse her by order of the King."

The Captain bowed his head, grinning slightly, and then immediately left the room as well.

.

The hunting trip didn't last very long. Ivan was not in the mood at all, and claimed that he felt a bit sick just to get out of it. He sat on a rock for most of the time while his father continued his hunt.

Before Ivan knew it, he was back in his room, dressing to meet the Princess who had already arrived in town and was awaiting him as he stood there looking into his mirror. He dressed in his nicest clothes, wanting to at least pretend to want to impress, and finished his outfit off with a long red cloak that reached his ankles and spread over his shoulders.

He was to meet the Princess in the main hall of the castle, and then take her on a carriage trip around town to introduce her to the city.

He took a deep breath, and then opened the door to the main hall, and his eyes fell onto a fair woman standing in the center of the room. She looked a bit lost, looking around until her eyes fell onto the Prince. She smiled, her cheeks turning a light pink. Ivan forced a smile, all he could think about was, _'This is the woman I'm supposed to marry, to have kids with...'_ and the thoughts made him sick. He was sure that she was a perfectly lovely person, but she wasn't Gilbert.

Ivan went to her and bowed. "Good evening, Princess. It's time for your tour of the city, are you ready?" He asked her.

She nodded and smiled, not speaking a word. Ivan held his arm out for her, and she snaked her arm through his, and he led her out of the castle.

.

Natalia had gone to Gilbert soon after she left Ivan. She brought the albino breakfast and talked to him. She told him about the Princess and how Ivan dreaded seeing her. When Gilbert asked why, Natalia quickly made up a lie and said that the woman wasn't Ivan's type. Gilbert left it alone and decided to eat.

He couldn't help feel a bit uneasy about the Princess... jealousy, maybe? But it was always known that Ivan was to be King one day, and he needed a Queen to sit beside him and give him children as well, so it wasn't like it surprised him. Natalia promised that he'd see Ivan again soon, so it was all okay for him.

Everything she had said to Ivan earlier about his feelings was something she knew her brother wouldn't want her telling the albino, so she didn't. That was something Ivan has to come to terms with himself and make a choice, though she didn't know what could really be done.

After a few hours, Natalia left, and Gilbert went to the window in his room again, luckily his chains reached far enough for him to stand there. He liked looking out it and gazing over the many sunflowers in the huge field below his window. He imagined countless times running through those fields, bare-foot and dressed in his ragged tunic. He used to imagine himself with Ivan, but now... he pictured Antonio. He missed his friend so much, and Ivan had no feelings for him aside from an increasing desire of lust. Antonio had always protected him, fed him, and kept him as healthy as he could, never asking for anything in return.

Gilbert was furious; this was all because of his body and his colors, or lack thereof. Priests hated him and called him a demon, guards thought he was a freak but pretty enough to want to bury their cock into, and Ivan just wanted to stare. His looks were a curse.

The sun was setting, and he was beginning to wonder where Ivan was. The thought of him losing interest in him made him chuckle out of irony but it actually hurt him. Even if he hated being locked in this room, living in fear, engaging in meaningless intimacy... Ivan was the only one who he trusted even remotely. He was the only one who protected him now, and he didn't want to lose that.

.

His door opened behind him, and he craned his neck around quickly, expecting to see Ivan, but instead he saw a man dressed in shiny steel, with a scar on his left cheek. He was a guard, clearly, but he wasn't like the others. He was carrying a tray of food, and he came further into the room after shutting the door. The guard set the tray on the table and then looked to Gilbert by the window.

"I've brought your food, as was requested of me." He said.

Gilbert shifted his body slightly, his body language saying that he was cautious.

"Come now, don't look so frightened. You're a guest here, after all." He then grinned at Gilbert, his eyes trailing up and down his form, the outline of his white body was just barely visible through the white fabric of the gown he was wearing. "Such a _pretty_ guest as well."

The compliment made Gilbert tense up and his eyes widened slightly. He was wrong; this guard is exactly like the others.

The guard smiled a little and then turned away. "Goodbye, little bird. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow." The man said and simply left.

Gilbert's heart was pounding fast and as soon as the man left, his body relaxed and he clenched a hand over his heart. The guard had scared him, but at least he was gone, and Gilbert did get more food, which was good. Gilbert ate some of it, and simply waited.

He waited and waited, but Ivan didn't show up this night. Surprisingly, Gilbert felt cold and ignored, forgotten. Ivan really was losing his interest, wasn't he? For the first time since the first few nights he was here, Gilbert was longing for Ivan's touch, his kiss, his heat - Everything. Instead, he was sad, alone, and cold.

.

The next day was very much like the previous. Ivan was woken up immediately and forced out with the Princess. At first, Ivan thought she was sweet, but his desire to see Gilbert was wearing his patience thin and the woman had grew annoying. However, later that evening over a cup of wine in the parlor, the girl brought up a topic that got all of Ivan's attention.

"I hear tell that the Braginski family has a demon locked in its towers." She said and sipped her wine elegantly. "Is there any truth to that, Prince Ivan?"

Ivan froze for a moment before speaking, "Yes, it's true. The demon is actually my personal responsibility." He told her. "And please, call me Ivan." He instructed. It was a sweet thing to do, to let her call him by his first name, but in all honesty, he just hated being called 'Prince'.

"Oh my! How exciting!" She clapped her hands together softly and smiled happily. Ivan looked utterly confused by her reaction. "The fact of a demon being locked in the castle certainly is exciting, I'd say." She continued.

"Yes... well, it's not as exciting as it sounds." Ivan downed his glass of wine quickly.

"Oh?"

"Yes... the demon, he's... well he's rather quiet." He bit the inside of his lip. He wanted so desperately to just tell her that Gilbert was not a demon. He was sick of lying about him.

"I see, but still! It adds some danger and power to your family's name, it's interesting."

This woman had annoyed Ivan with her comment, but she didn't seem really afraid or even bothered that there was a supposed demon in the very castle she was in. For that, Ivan was somewhat thankful.

.

As long as the day felt for Ivan, it felt twice as long for Gilbert. Ivan didn't come to visit him and Natalia was nowhere to be found either. He sat on his bed, staring at the door, waiting. He felt as if everyone had disappeared and he was completely alone.

In a way, he wished that were the case. The guard from yesterday had come back, and was unlocking the door to come in. Gilbert held his breath. The man terrified him, and with good reason.

The guard came in finally, but Gilbert noticed immediately that the man didn't have his food. It was just him.

"Good evening, little bird, you look well." He smiled and walked closer to Gilbert. The action made Gilbert tense, but he didn't move or say anything, he just watched the man intensely. The man reached his hand out, and slowly stroked the small strands of hair jutting down in front of Gilbert's ears, and the touch made the albino flinch back from his hand. When he flinched, the guard gripped his other hand onto Gilbert's arm and held him in place. Gilbert bit the inside of his lip, scared. He dared not to move.

"You know... there's been talk among the guards of how beautiful the demon is..." he mumbled, stroking Gilbert's soft white hair again. "Some of the men want to see him - to _feel_ him." The words made Gilbert take in a short and sharp breath, and it didn't go unnoticed by the guard.

The man's hand traveled up and tangled in Gilbert's hair, and Gilbert mentally prepared himself to have his hair yanked on, but it wasn't, instead, the guard began to ruffle his white locks, gently, surprisingly. The touch may be gentle, but it frightened Gilbert.

The hand on the albino's arm moved up to Gilbert's chin, holding his face between his thumb and index finger. He tilted Gilbert's face up to make him look at him, and the guard smiled proudly. "How pretty." He mumbled and then leaned down, closing the gap between his and the albino's lips.

Before he could connect them though, Gilbert twitched away and stumbled to get off of the bed. He stood there, blushing softly but fear shone brightly in his eyes. He wished he didn't have the chains locking him down, everything about this felt bad.

The guard grit his teeth. "What's the matter? I thought demons liked being touched? Your kind is overly sexual, and like it rough, yes? The more pain the better?" the man grinned when Gilbert's face turned a little darker shade of red. He couldn't help it, it was an embarrassing implication, because part of him _did_ like when Ivan didn't take the irons off when they were intimate, though Ivan was never rough with him, it just added a little something that Gilbert didn't even realize that he liked.

Gilbert took a quick step backward when the other male took a step toward him, like he was trying to keep the distance between them. The guard grinned. "I could have you chained to the wall if you want. You'd be forced to stand and strain your legs as you struggle to keep yourself up, doesn't that sound nice? Demons like a challenge, don't they?"

Gilbert's heartbeat changed, beginning to beat slow in fear, and the man in front of him started to chuckle. "You're pathetic. A demon locked away, not even strong enough to break a few iron chains, and you're scared of a little human like me." He grinned. "Why the Prince keeps you around is beyond me... perhaps, ahh... is he fucking you?" The guard almost laughed when he saw how Gilbert's body cringed, but the albino glared after a second. For once, he let his embarrassment escape him, and he was pissed off by the implication.

The guard grinned widely, loving that he angered the demon. He turned away slowly, and made his way to the door. "I'll be back tomorrow, demon." And he left, simple as that.

Gilbert blinked a few times and then became suddenly extremely confused. If the guard was going to do something to him, why didn't he do it already? Was he baiting him? Trying to see if Gilbert would come onto him first? No, the man tried to kiss him; he had the initiative to make a move if he wanted to.

He was tired and hungry. The guard didn't give him any food, and he hadn't eaten since the previous evening. Natalia hadn't shown up in the morning, nor did any other guards, to give him breakfast. He felt a little dizzy, his body suffering from lack of drink as well.

He collapsed onto his bed and curled up as comfortably as he could with his chains attached to his wrists. The bruises on his skin were turning a darker purple where the iron pulled or pressed against him, and he hated it, it made him look even stranger than he already did. He closed his eyes when he felt small tears start to prick at them. His thoughts went back to Antonio, and how he would be so much more comfortable under that bridge, lying in the dirt with the brunet rather than lying on this bed in chains. He knew if he was back there, he'd be curled up next to Antonio to conserve warmth like they always did. He missed it, he missed being free.

.

The evening was finally over and Ivan was free to leave the Princess. He went to his room, removed his fancy clothing and changed into something more casual, and headed straight to Gilbert's room at the top of the castle. He opened the door, and saw the albino curled up on his bed, looking to be asleep. He went to the bed, and gently began to shake the other by his bony shoulder.

Gilbert grunted softly, and then he suddenly opened his eyes wide and he jolted up, turning over and moving away from the touch on his shoulder.

"Gilbert?" Ivan inquired with a tilt of his head, curious but worried. "Are you all right? You look scared."

The albino breathed in lightly. "I just... had a bad dream." He lied.

Ivan's brows furrowed and he scooted closer to Gilbert's body, to which Gilbert subtly shifted away. The action hurt Ivan, and then he feared that Gilbert's dream involved him. He hoped with every ounce of himself that it didn't.

Still, the Russian didn't stop, and he slowly lied down next to the albino. He carefully put an arm around the smaller man and cuddled close to him, trying to comfort him. Gilbert gave in and let his body lie down again. Ivan's hand went up to the short bangs at Gilbert's forehead and toyed with them gently. The touch pulled a small sound from Gilbert; it was like a whine, but content. Ivan could tell that the albino appreciated the gesture. Ivan moved his head a little closer and placed a few kisses into the snow-white hair under his chin. He breathed in the scent of the other. He smelled a bit sweet, a dull scent that made his nose tingle just slightly, but it was one that Ivan liked so much.

"I heard about the Princess." The albino's monotonic words caused Ivan to freeze still.

"What?"

"Natalia told me you have to meet with the Princess, that's why you've been gone so much lately." Gilbert's voice didn't change from that flat tone at all.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. It's something you have to do; you're expected to take a wife."

Ivan narrowed his eyes sadly. 'Expected to take a wife'... those were words that were beaten into his mind ever since he was young. He didn't want it, he didn't need it, and the Kingdom didn't need him. Natalia could lead, or better yet, Katyusha. She's strong and kind, and knows what the people of the city want and need.

The Russian tightened his arm around Gilbert, burying his face into the albino's nape. He loved the scent and warmth there, and he realized that _this_ was what he wanted. He wanted Gilbert.

Being with the Princess for two days had been like a wake up call. He tried to force himself to even remotely like the woman, but the more he tried to like her, the more he realized how much he really liked Gilbert. The woman's skin didn't feel like Gilbert, he liked the albino's better; surprisingly it felt softer and was so much prettier than hers. Her eyes couldn't compare to the beautiful pale pink of Gilbert's eyes, and he loved Gilbert's hair more then her long locks.

He squeezed Gilbert more as his cheeks flushed softly, _'I love him...'_ he realized.

.

Meeting the Princess once more the next day was painful. Ivan spent most of the night lying in his bed thinking about how he felt for Gilbert. Natalia called him out on liking him, and Ivan himself had, up until this point, believed that he was only physically attracted to Gilbert, but lying in that bed with him last night and holding him to comfort him, realizing that he didn't want anything to do with the Princess or anyone else... he realized that he cared deeper for Gilbert than he thought, and it made him ache.

The Princess had been droning on about her life, her family, her Kingdom, during which Ivan could only think about the albino in the castle above him. He made it through a dance with her and then a meal. After everyone else had gone to bed, he escorted the Princess to her room and then he was finally free of the woman, and he had an urgent stride back to Gilbert. He needed to hear his voice, to see those beautiful eyes and to kiss his pink lips. He needed to feel him.

He went up the stairs, walked down the hall, and then turned into the small stairway leading up to Gilbert's room. He eyed the door, and a feeling of trepidation fell over him. The door had already been unlocked. Someone had to be inside, and Ivan knew that Natalia was asleep. No one else had the key aside from one of the guards.

He suddenly heard some commotion from inside, and then a series of screams.

He quickly pushed the door open, and his eyes fell onto a horrible sight that made his blood boil, and the people inside the room looked at him...

/

The only thing keeping Gilbert even somewhat happy was the memory of last night. The way that Ivan held him tightly and kissed into his hair made his heart flutter a little. Ivan was always so gentle and sweet with him. Never rough or threatening. He wondered what made Ivan so different from the rest. Most everyone thought he was the host for a demon or actually was a demon, but Ivan... Ivan was so kind to him, and never believed even for a second that he was something evil.

The sound of the door unlocking filled his ears and he turned around quickly. He gasped when he saw the Captain of the guard peeking his head into the room with a creepy grin on his face.

"Good evening, little bird." The man said and entered the room, shutting the door behind him slowly.

Gilbert didn't say anything and kept his eyes narrowed on the other male. He gasped when he started to walk toward him, his grin widening.

"What do you want?" Gilbert asked.

"Why, _you_, of course." The man jutted his hand out and grabbed Gilbert's forearm, pulling him close.

Gilbert pulled back but the man yanked him to him, keeping him against him. "Let go of me!" he yelled.

The other male gripped Gilbert's chin and forced him to look up. "You have such a pretty face, so it'd be a shame if I had to wreck it to keep you quiet."

Gilbert grit his teeth and glared at the other, though there was fear building in his stomach. Part of him wanted to punch this guy right in the jaw, but Gilbert knew better than that.

The man's hand went to Gilbert's gown and tugged it up. Gilbert tried to stop him, but his hands were shackled together and the chain had gotten caught on the bed frame, which limited how much he could struggle.

A grin appeared on the Captain's face. Gilbert wasn't wearing anything under his gown. "My, the Prince certainly likes to keep you at easy access, doesn't he?" He gripped around Gilbert's cock, the rough material of his gloves rubbed uncomfortably against the sensitive skin.

"Stop! Let go of me!" the man's grip tightened and Gilbert gasped. "Get off of me!"

Gilbert was then silenced when the man's mouth came down on his. His hand started to quickly and roughly pump Gilbert, all while forcing his tongue into his mouth.

He tasted terrible and Gilbert bit down hard on the invading tongue. It made the man angry and he growled. There was some blood dripping down his chin and he pushed Gilbert away roughly. He tugged on the chains to Gilbert's shackles and wrapped it around one of the bed posts, shortening the length even further. He pulled Gilbert's body back to him when the albino tried to move away, and he flipped him over so he was on his belly and bent at the waist over the bed, forcing him face down with his legs off of the side and forced apart. The Captain pushed the white gown back up around Gilbert's waist to reveal his pale rear. He gripped one cheek and gave a tight squeeze to the soft flesh, to which Gilbert cried out in fear. The man roughly covered Gilbert's mouth with his hand and leaned down over his back, his mouth next to his ear.

"Stop struggling and it'll hurt less." He chuckled, undoing his belt with his other hand.

Gilbert's teary eyes shot open wide when he felt the man's erection against his entrance. The man removed his hand from Gilbert's mouth and spread the two white lumps of his rear to see his tight hole. Gilbert started screaming, fighting with every weak muscle he had against the other. He felt the man press against him a little more, but at that moment, they both heard the door of the room open.

/

"What... what are you doing!?" Ivan screamed.

The man on Gilbert looked annoyed. "Prince Ivan, I-"

"Get off of him. Now!" Ivan yelled again and made his way to him.

"The- the demon, he wanted-" Ivan cut him off by grabbing his arm and yanking him away from Gilbert, nearly making him stumble and fall. Gilbert's body fell limply against the bed and he whimpered.

Ivan pulled the guard closer to him. "I will have you punished for this later." He growled lowly, "Get out of my sight."

The guard glared a little at Ivan, though he struggled to walk quickly to the door while trying to pull his pants up. Ivan followed him and slammed the door after he left. He locked it from inside and then turned his body to look back at Gilbert. The albino was struggling to push his gown down, but the chains were too tight and he couldn't get his hands down.

Ivan walked over and quickly unlocked the shackles from Gilbert's bruised wrists so he could fix his clothing.

"Gilbert are you all right?" Ivan asked, reaching a hand out, "Did he-"

"Don't touch me!" Gilbert's voice screeched when he felt the other's hand touch his shoulder, and Ivan backed up in shock. Gilbert curled up, shivering and shaking in fear.

Ivan's heart broke at the sight, he promised Gilbert that he'd be safe and he broke that promise. He carefully took the red cloak off of his shoulders, and cautiously let it drape over the albino's tiny body. Gilbert gasped and looked up, looking terrified.

"It's all right Gilbert, You're safe now-"

"Safe?" Gilbert lifted himself up a little, his eyes burning with fear. "You think I'm _safe!?_ How can you even say that!? You have no idea what happens to me when you're gone, and it was just luck that you came in when you did! Don't tell me I'm safe when you have no control over your own guards!" his voice cracked and he suddenly burst into tears. He let his body slump against the bed, burying his face in his arms as he sobbed loudly.

Ivan's stomach twisted with guilt. He wanted to protect Gilbert but he had no control over that particular guard; he's his father's Captain, and if he was here, then his father must have given him the order to check on Gilbert.

He'd talk to his father about this later.

"Gilbert, I... I'm so sorry..." he apologized, though knew it couldn't help much. "I promise, that guard _will_ be punished, whether by my father's hand or by mine, he'll suffer for what he's done."

Gilbert tensed slightly. He could hear the anger in Ivan's voice directed toward the guard.

"I'll leave you alone tonight. I'll be back in the morning with your breakfast." He said and walked to the door. "Goodnight, Gilbert."

Gilbert perked his head up a little once Ivan left. He felt cold and alone, but he kind of wanted to be left alone. He was shaken up and didn't want anyone to touch him. Even so, he found some comfort in the red cloak around him. It was still warm from Ivan's body and smelled like him too. Gilbert curled up. He wrapped the cloak tightly around himself, and softly started to weep again until exhaustion made him fall asleep.

/

/

"You're telling me that the demon seduced you?"

"Yes sir. I went to check on him like you asked of me, and last night I felt something come over me. He acted very sultry, and I couldn't control myself, but before I could... your son came in and stopped me."

The King rubbed his chin softly. "I see..."

"This has happened before with a few other guards, I've heard... forgive me if I'm speaking out of line, but I fear the Prince is in danger. I suggest we execute the demon before he captures your son."

The older man shifted his eyes up to his personal guard. "No, disposing of his toy now will only make him angry, whether it's good that we do or not. Ivan is to be wed soon; I need him to accept that without much more delay." He sighed. "However... the demon is posing more of a problem than he's worth..."

The King stood up and went to another desk. He sat down and dipped his quill in an inkwell. He let the tip of the quill hover over his parchment.

"Ivan will marry in less than a week, and then the demon will be executed."

* * *

**Fun Fact:** Back in chapter 3, Ivan told his father not to underestimate Natalia because she beat his Captain of the Guard in a fight with just a dagger. That's how the Captain got that scar on his cheek mentioned in this chapter.

—

Thanks for reading, friend.  
If you liked this, please leave a favorite and/or a review. Thank you.


	6. Make It All Right

**[Originally posted: 2/24/2014]**

Oh this chapter was a lot of fun to write.

.

******I do not own Hetalia, nor am I making any money off of this or any of my other writings.

**Chapter Warning(s): Mention of rape/non-con, yaoi, fluff, angst, oral sex.**

* * *

"Father!" Ivan yelled as he pushed the door to the King's private room open. The older man looked at is son curiously, glancing up from his several pieces of parchment on his desk.

"What are you yelling about, Ivan?" the man asked.

"I'm here to talk to you about your Captain." He glared. "Did you tell him to check on the demon?"

The King paused for a moment. "I may have mentioned something about increasing security around his room."

"You had no right to."

The man looked to his son, "No right? Well I think it's a good thing I did so. My Captain informs me that your demon has been seducing people, and that last night he tried to seduce my Captain."

"So you think he's telling the truth? Did your 'Captain' tell you that I walked in when he was being 'seduced'?"

"Yes he did."

"Did he also tell you that he had the demon pinned to his bed, getting ready to rape him?" The King's eyes widened a little. "I walked in just in time to stop it, but the demon was crying and shaking in fear. No demon would cry and look so terrified of a human; no demon would let a human violate them. Even if you think he's a demon, I will not let your guards assault him as they wish."

"Ivan, I fear the demon is seducing you..."

Ivan growled. "In the two weeks he's been here, I have never tried anything like that with him. I've never felt a loss of control like your Captain probably said he felt." Ivan glared at his father. "Punish your Captain or I'll do it myself. He attempted to hurt something that belongs to me, and you know the penalty for that."

"Yes, but Ivan-"

"No. I gave strict orders. Leave the demon to me; stop sending guards up there for any reason. He's _mine_. He's _my_ project."

The King sighed heavily in defeat. "Fine... but you know this cannot last much longer."

"I'll deal with that when it happens. Now, if you'll excuse me." Ivan turned on his heel, walked to the door, and slammed it after he left.

The King sighed, rubbing his temple. _'What is going on in my castle...'_

.

Ivan angrily walked down the hall; he wanted to rip that Captain apart. He had to stay calm, though. That man was not his to order or hurt. He'd just have to keep a closer eye on Gilbert. It was nearly time for breakfast, and he was sure that Gilbert would want to eat.

"Ivan." Natalia called from behind him, he turned around. "I have good news."

"Did the Captain of the guard get hit by a carriage?"

"What? No." Natalia raised an eyebrow.

"Then it's not good news."

"... anyway." The woman looked confused. "We just received word that father has to go out of town again, he probably won't be back until tomorrow evening. I'm on my way to deliver the letter to him right now." She said.

"Well, that is good news, I suppose."

"He has to take his Captain, which is also good, seeing as you don't seem to like him very much."

"I've never liked him, but he assaulted Gilbert last night." Saying it again made his blood boil.

"Oh, I see... well, take this time to be with him then. The Princess went home this morning, so you're free for now."

Ivan scoffed. He didn't consider this free. "Keep all guards away from the top floor, if any disobey, tell them that I'll strip them of their status and kick them out of the castle. If they enter Gilbert's room, I'll kill them."

"Ivan..." Natalia whispered sadly.

"What? Don't you want to protect those you love?" He glared.

The girl's eyes widened. She paused for a moment, studying the look in her brother's eyes. He was so sincere and she could tell instantly, he had come to terms with his feelings for Gilbert. She nodded. "All right, I'll do it, but you can't kill anyone."

Ivan groaned, "Fine. I'm going to bring Gilbert his breakfast, and then I'm taking him out of the castle. Any guard who tries to stop me, I'll relieve them of their duty permanently. I'm not tip-toeing around them anymore."

Natalia sighed, "You're going to get in trouble, but whatever." She turned and walked away, "I'll see you later."

Ivan smiled a little, and continued on his way as well.

.

Ivan made his way back up to Gilbert's private room, carrying a small tray of food with a pitcher of water on it.

Gilbert heard the door being unlocked and he instinctively tensed up in fear. He started praying that it wasn't the Captain, and he was utterly relieved when Ivan's body slipped through the door. The larger male closed and locked the door and set the small tray of food on the table in the room.

The albino was still curled up in his cloak, which Ivan found rather cute, but he was worried that Gilbert was still frightened.

"How do you feel?" Ivan asked calmly.

Gilbert sat up, his eyes looking void of emotion. "Scared." He answered.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to calm you down a little?" Ivan's eyes looked so sad; he wanted so desperately to help.

Gilbert looked down at his hands. "Punch that guard if you get the chance."

Ivan let out a chuckle, "I will. Now, come eat, you must be hungry, and we're going out again today."

Gilbert perked up, "Really? Where are we going?"

"Well I was thinking - you seem to really like the sunflower fields outside your window, so why not go down there and relax for a while?" He smiled when Gilbert's face lit up. "Sound good?"

"Yes, I'd really like that."

Ivan smiled more and pulled out a chair at the table. "Come, eat."

Gilbert did so and began to eat his food. He was incredibly hungry and thirsty and practically inhaled his food. Ivan watched him with a small smile on his lips, he liked that Gilbert seemed to be in a calmer mood than last night, he even joked a little about punching the guard, so that was a good sign. He hoped that taking Gilbert to the sunflower fields would make him happier and further calm him. He wanted to just relax with Gilbert today and let him unwind after last night. He wanted to just be with him. He had something important to tell him as well, and for some reason he felt nervous about telling him. He wondered how Gilbert would react. Glad probably, but there was something making Ivan feel very uncertain about it.

After removing every bit of food and drink Ivan had brought him, Ivan let Gilbert dress in whatever he wanted. He chose to wear pants, which was acceptable and expected. Ivan would no longer have him wear that gown if he didn't want to. After the incident with the guard, Ivan wanted to let Gilbert wear whatever he felt comfortable in, not some almost see-through gown with nothing underneath. Ivan couldn't stop thinking that if he had made Gilbert wear more clothes, he would have stopped the guard a lot sooner and Gilbert wouldn't have been so frightened.

Ivan took Gilbert by the hand and led him through the castle, making his way down the stairs from Gilbert's private room and through the halls. Some guards blinked curiously at them, but when Ivan glared dangerously, no one spoke a single word. He brought Gilbert out into a little area on the side of the castle where there was a small wooden door that led to the fields outside the walls. The door was usually used for emergencies like getting the royal family out of the castle or transporting guards easier, but today, it would pose as a gateway to a calming, beautiful world.

Ivan smiled toward Gilbert and then lifted the metal latch on the door and pushed it open a little. He tilted his head toward the door, gesturing for Gilbert to lead. The albino eyed Ivan curiously, and cautiously pushed the door open. His mouth gaped and his eyes widened when he saw what was beyond the door.

Sunflowers taller than he and lined as far as the eye could see. They were bright, vibrant, and yellow, and the air had a thick plant smell caused by so many flowers together. Gilbert was in awe by the sight. It was absolutely beautiful.

"Looks a lot different when you're actually down here, doesn't it?" Ivan smiled toward Gilbert. The albino looked to him as the Prince closed the door behind them.

"Yeah... it's so much brighter..." he absentmindedly went over to a sunflower that was just barely taller than him. He brought a hand up and gently touched the pedals, and a little smile pulled on his lips. "It's nice to be able to actually touch them. Before I would just dream of being here."

Ivan was silent for a moment; he found a similarity in how Gilbert felt for the sunflowers and himself. He smiled. "We can come here as much as you want, Gilbert." Ivan stood next to him. "I don't care what my father says; I'll bring you here every day if that's what you want."

Gilbert turned his head to look at Ivan. "Really, you will?" Ivan nodded, and Gilbert smiled. "Thank you. I'd like that."

They shared a smile for a moment, and then Gilbert turned away, looking far into the distance away from the castle. "If I started running, I could probably escape..." he mumbled.

Ivan noticed the dread and look of defeat on Gilbert's face. He really hated being here... "You wouldn't make it, and even if you managed to, where would you go? Everyone in the surrounding towns know who you are and what you look like. They'd return you here, where you'd be executed instantly for attempting to escape." As much as he hated saying it, it was all true, and he needed Gilbert to understand that.

Gilbert swallowed, "So... the rest of my life is going to be in that tiny room?" He looked to the other; his eyes were starting to become wet.

The look made Ivan's heart ache. He wanted so desperately to fix this. To just reverse time and never bring Gilbert to him in the first place, and let him continue living in poverty. He thought that maybe he could transfer Gilbert into his room, where he'd be safe from the guards and he could sleep in a softer bed - with him.

Ivan didn't speak and he suddenly grabbed Gilbert's hand and began pulling him down a natural path through the flowers. "Come on, I know a little spot where we can sit for a while."

He brought Gilbert to a small circular opening in the field and then sat down. "Sit." He smiled, patting the grass next to him. Gilbert did and looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful blue with some fluffy white clouds floating over. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his skin while he could have it.

Ivan glanced over to him. He loved how peaceful the other looked; after seeing him so frightened last night, it was nice to see that little smile on his face.

"Gilbert... I want to talk to you about something." Ivan started. He might as well get this out of the way. The albino looked to him and 'hm'ed with curious eyes. "After last night, I felt so horrible seeing you like that, and then how you looked so scared of me even, I just felt awful, I felt so bad for leaving you alone, and I just... I... I've decided that I won't touch you anymore."

Gilbert's eyes widened a centimeter. "What?"

"I'm not going to touch you anymore. Not after how scared you were."

"I wasn't scared of you, Ivan." He leaned forward and a little closer to the other, supporting his upper body with his palm pressing into the grass. "I was just... shaken up from the guard, and I snapped at you. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

Ivan looked uncertain, "You're sure...?"

Gilbert nodded, "So you can touch me as much as you want." He said, and then a moment later realized how his words sounded. His face flushed. "I mean, well... you know."

Ivan cupped a pink cheek and brought Gilbert close and kissed his forehead. "I know." He smiled after parting from him. "Just... make sure you tell me if I ever do anything you don't like, okay? Even if it's just something small that I do, if it makes you uncomfortable, tell me."

Gilbert didn't say a word and suddenly gripped Ivan's shoulders. He moved his body so that he was straddling the Prince and he sat down on his thighs.

"Gilbert?" Ivan's cheeks warmed up a little.

"I want you to kiss me." He said bluntly.

Ivan blinked at the other in confusion, completely taken aback by his sudden demanding and dominant behavior. Gilbert was never so bold like this, and rarely even touched Ivan back when they were intimate with each other.

"That stupid guard forced one on me the day before he tried to-"

"Whoa whoa." Ivan covered Gilbert's mouth with his hand. "He kissed you?"

Gilbert smiled nervously. "Yeah... he's been checking on me ever since you started hanging out with the Princess, and each day he got creepier and creepier. When you came to visit the other day and I said I had a bad dream, I actually didn't. I thought you were the guard and I panicked a little."

"That's acceptable... I'm so sorry you had to go through that." He wrapped his arms around Gilbert's skinny waist. "He won't bother you again. I wish I could have him thrown in the dungeons to rot with the other two who beat you when you first came here, but he's Captain of the guard, personal guard to my father, and well... I have no control over him. I have no authority to order him around."

"How will you stop him from bothering me, then?"

Ivan inhaled deeply before blowing the air out. "I talked to my father earlier. Turns out that he thinks you're seducing his men because of some lies the Captain told him. He'll catch on soon enough and punish his guard for not only assault on an innocent, but for lying to royalty. I keep telling him that you're not a threat, and that you've never tried to seduce me." He pulled Gilbert a little closer.

"You sound a little disappointed about that." Gilbert pressed his nose to Ivan's, making the larger male's cheeks turn a slightly darker shade of red. Gilbert thought it was a bit strange. Ivan never used to show much embarrassment in these situations, but now he seemed a bit shy. Then again, he wasn't really used to being so forward with Ivan either.

"I'm not disappointed... but, it's something I'd like to see you try." He smiled cutely.

Gilbert pouted and rocked himself forward, purposely grinding his hips against Ivan's but bringing himself closer as well. Ivan made a low sound in his throat. He wanted to kiss the other, but also wanted Gilbert to initiate it. He pretty much already did, what with straddling him and all. The albino tilted his head to the side and lightly pressed his lips against Ivan's.

The Prince tensed. He wanted to kiss Gilbert even more, but he would let Gilbert move at his own pace. The albino pushed his lips against Ivan's more, and he couldn't resist pressing his own forward, like he was desperate for Gilbert's kiss. His hands moved up Gilbert's back, gently massaging his skin through the silky tunic. The touch made Gilbert moan softly and he tilted his head more so that he could kiss Ivan better.

The kiss stayed sweet for a long time, just gentle rubs and massages back and forth. Sometimes Ivan would playfully nip at Gilbert's lip, and Gilbert would smile and giggle happily. Ivan eventually prodded his tongue at Gilbert's lips, and the albino let him in for a little while, their tongues rubbing slowly and softly rather than roughly. He wanted to stay like this; he didn't want to become aroused, he enjoyed just kissing Ivan.

Ivan smiled and nuzzled his nose against Gilbert's gently. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"... well... will you tell me about your life before you came to this city? I want to get to know you better."

Gilbert's face dropped a little. "It's not much better than what I've already told you." He scooted back on Ivan's legs, sitting nearly on his knees. "I lived with my mom, dad, and my little brother. My mom was the nicest woman I've ever met. She never let my strange looks change her opinion of me, I was always her 'little bird', but that nickname has been ruined by that guard." His nose scrunched up a little.

"Then you'll just be my rabbit. My snowrabbit." Ivan smiled and cupped Gilbert's cheek to make him look at him.

"Thanks..." Gilbert cracked a tiny smile, and then frowned, "My mother died when I was 10, and my father turned into a drunk over the years. He started to treat me worse than e used to, but still loved my brother. He was the pride of our family, and I was the dirt on our name, a disgrace. My brother never thought that about me, though. After I turned 18, my father had enough of me, or maybe he was afraid that the demon rumors were true, and one day we were all traveling at night to another city, and he just, well... kicked me off the carriage, and by time I got up, I couldn't see where the carriage was. I couldn't catch up anyway."

"That's awful." Ivan rubbed up Gilbert's sides. "I'd have him imprisoned for doing such a thing."

"Well he's dead now. A few years ago there was a collapse in one of the mines he worked in. 3 injured, 1 killed." He almost smiled.

"I see. Well the rocks did my work for me then." He nuzzled Gilbert again. "So, after you were left alone, was that when you came to this city?"

"Not exactly. I wandered for a bit, feeling really confused. I got lost in the forest, I cried a lot, and cursed my father every night. After about a year, I started to give up and I became sick, and that's when I stumbled into that little farmhouse where Antonio found me, and well, you know the rest."

"Yeah... I'm so sorry about your father. You've had such a tough life, and I'm not making it any easier..."

Gilbert cupped Ivan's cheek, "No it's okay, I'm fine. Really." He smiled and removed his hand. "So what about you? What's the life of a Prince been like?"

Ivan huffed out a tiny laugh, "Not as wonderful as you'd think." He paused, looking down thinking. "Even you told me that since I'm a Prince, it's expected of me to take a wife and become King. That's been beaten into my head since I was a toddler. I always had to be the perfect Prince, sitting up straight, speaking with big words and being respectful even to people who never respected me." He looked to Gilbert, "I never wanted to be a Prince, but I accepted it. Over the years I became distant from my father because he stopped treating me as his son, but as the thing that would keep his Kingdom going. He was mean, always yelling when I did something wrong, even at my younger sister, and my mother too. Katyusha wasn't home much."

"So what did you do?" Gilbert tilted his head.

"Well, I did a few things. I stopped listening to him as much. I also started buying books about myths, dark magic, stuff like that. My father always hated that stuff. It eventually sparked a rumor that I was casting magic and summoning creatures. I never believed in the stuff myself, and overtime I got really bored and lonely." He pulled Gilbert a little closer, "Then, one day I saw you on the side of the road. A man who many think is a demon. I know it was selfish of me, but I saw a chance to cure my loneliness. No one would question a Prince, and most were happy that you were gone."

Gilbert smiled crookedly, "Gee thanks."

"You know I don't mean that badly." Ivan nuzzled his nose into Gilbert's cheek. "I'm sorry I forced you here. I wish I could more easily take you places, but if my father hears about any of this, you'll be thrown in the dungeons or executed."

"I know... I've tried to keep a low profile when guards come to give me food, but, I think because I bit the Captain, things might get bad soon."

Ivan tilted his head, "You bit him?"

Gilbert nodded, "When he kissed me, I bit his tongue and that's when he got mad."

Ivan pulled the other closer, coddling him in his lap. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that..."

"I told you, I'm fine." Gilbert smiled, but a few seconds later it disappeared, "At least, for now..."

"That's why I'm sorry. I... I can't fully control that guard, there's nothing I can do to stop him from trying to hurt you again, unless I'm with you day and night, but this thing with the Princess has been keeping me busy, and I'm so worried about that too..."

Gilbert gently ran a hand through Ivan's hair and shushed him quietly. "It's all right... if something happens, then, I'll just... deal with it. As long as I'm alive, I can heal."

Ivan's eyes saddened and he suddenly buried his head into Gilbert's chest. "I hate that. I hate not being able to protect you, having to just go with 'if it happens, it happens'." He squeezed Gilbert tighter.

The albino looked down at Ivan's head sadly, he could feel how upset the Prince was, and it threw him off a little. Ivan wasn't supposed to care about him this much. Wasn't he just an object to look at?

"It's all right, Ivan... don't worry about me." He mumbled, softly petting the Russian's ash-blond hair.

Ivan said nothing else and just continued to hug the smaller man tightly in his lap. He never wanted this moment to end, but like all good things, they must.

.

Walking back through the sunflower field, back to the castle, Gilbert felt something grim come over him. He liked being outside so much and he wanted to run away so badly. A little part of him hated Ivan for not letting him leave. If his options were to try to escape and live a better life somewhere, or try to escape, get caught, and then be executed, he felt like he'd be willing to take that chance. What was the point of staying here? Possibly being abused by the guards, and then being intimate with Ivan. It would break him; he knew he wouldn't be able to last long under all of it.

As they reentered the castle, Natalia was sitting on a small cushioned bench there, like she was waiting for them.

"Natalia?" Ivan inquired and then gripped Gilbert's hand tighter in his. The squeeze made Gilbert nervous.

"I've been waiting for you; I figured you took him out to see the sunflowers." She closed the little book she had on her lap and stood up. "I called all of the guards away from the kitchen and dining room, and I let all of the cooks off duty after preparing a meal for you both. It's been a while since Gilbert has had a proper meal, yes?" she looked to the albino.

"You really did all of that?" Ivan seemed stunned. Natalia never went out of her way for people who weren't family.

Natalia nodded, "Don't expect things like this from me often, but I know you've been stressed with the whole deal with the Princess, and I heard what happened to Gilbert. I'm just trying to help in what little ways I can."

Ivan smiled sincerely, "Thank you, really." He bowed his head a little, "Is everything all ready in the dining room?"

Natalia gave another nod. "Yeah, just go on in and eat. The guards will be gone for at least another hour, so you have some time."

Ivan smiled and looked to Gilbert; he squeezed his hand a little and then started to walk down the hall again. After turning down a few halls, Ivan stopped near a large, dark wood door. He pushed it open and peeked inside and then smiled back at Gilbert, and pulled him into the large room.

Gilbert gasped audibly at the sight. This was the dining room for the royal family and everything looked absolutely gorgeous. Elaborate crimson and gold tapestries hung from the walls, swords crossing behind shields were decorating columns touching the ceiling and floor. The glasses were finely crafted glass, and the table and chairs were carved from the highest quality wood. There was a deep red carpet leading from the door to the large table. It all looked so beautiful, but had this dark, blood red hue to it. It fit, he supposed. The Braginski family's symbol was the head of a bear inside a circle, or shield, colored with deep reds and purples. He hadn't really noticed it before, but the entire castle had a bit of an evil feeling and look to it. The town and surrounding cities must have had a field day when the Braginski family took in a demon. There were already rumors of the Prince dabbling in dark magic and him keeping a demon as a pet worsened that rumor, and the youngest Princess wasn't the most ladylike of Princesses and could fight better than most of the guards, the King was known for being somewhat cruel, the Queen lost her voice, and the oldest Princess was away a lot. Their family didn't have the best reputation, aside from all being beautiful.

"Go on, sit." Ivan let go of Gilbert's hand and walked into the room in front of him. He wanted Gilbert to feel as free as possible here.

Gilbert stepped slowly into the dining room, following Ivan and then stopping by the chair that the Prince sat in.

Ivan looked up at him; "Well?" he raised his eyebrows.

Gilbert glanced down to the chair next to Ivan and then gently set his hands on it. He felt a bit hesitant, like he would end up breaking something, and that he wasn't allowed to sit here. He pulled the chair out, and then sat down. He bounced a little in surprise at how much cushion was on the seat, he felt like he was almost floating, it was nice.

Ivan slid a large platter between himself and Gilbert and then lifted the lid, revealing a pile of nicely cut fresh and steaming meat. "We have plenty of meat, bread, fruit, and wine. So eat and drink as much as you want." He smiled, and then laughed softly, "Well, maybe not drink as much as you want. I don't want you getting drunk."

Gilbert smiled at Ivan's little joke, but he couldn't take his eyes off of the food in front of him. His mouth was watering and he was pretty sure that his eyes were sparkling. Ivan fed him decent food, but because the cooks had to make it for a demon, they didn't always use the best ingredients or the freshest bread, but it was still better than anything he had back on the streets.

"Well what are you waiting for, dig in."

Gilbert shifted his eyes to Ivan, almost like asking for a second permission. Ivan smiled, and Gilbert suddenly started to collect food from several plates in front of him. He took a few slices of meat, a quarter of a loaf of bread, some berries, and Ivan poured him some red-colored wine.

He started to eat immediately, sinking his teeth deep into the juicy meat and tearing it almost viciously. Ivan watched him from the corner of his eye as he gathered his own food. He was pleased to see that Gilbert looked so happy. He guessed food was something he really enjoyed. Or maybe he just ate so desperately because food was something he would rarely have back on the streets.

Gilbert devoured the piece of meat and took a small breath, like he was content just with that. Ivan noticed some juice from the meat sliding down Gilbert's chin from the corner of his mouth. He leaned over and took Gilbert's chin between his thumb and index finger and turned his head to make him look at him. Gilbert dropped the little piece of bread he was holding and blinked curiously at Ivan. The Russian neared him and before he knew it, Ivan licked from his chin up to his mouth, cleaning the juice from his skin. Gilbert's face turned a little pink and he couldn't take his gaze from Ivan. The Prince's eyes were half-lidded and looking so... seductive, almost like they were smoldering.

Ivan suddenly pulled Gilbert closer and took him into a kiss. He wasted no time in pushing his tongue inside the albino's mouth, which he didn't protest to, but he squeaked when their tongues roughly clashed together. Ivan's hand moved around to his neck and held him still; forcing his tongue deeper and licking at every spot he could reach. Gilbert's eyes drooped down, he felt his lower belly start to stir with arousal and his cheeks turned a shade darker of red. His thin pale brows pulled together above his eyes as Ivan forced his mouth open wide.

After a minute or so of the intense kiss, Ivan pulled out of it, but he made sure to grind his tongue against Gilbert's as he did, making Gilbert moan softly and leaving them connected by a thin string of saliva for a moment.

Gilbert panted out and then swallowed roughly. His face was now a nice rosy color.

Ivan grinned slightly, "I _really_ want to eat you now..." his voice was low and husky.

A small tightening feeling in Gilbert's groin made him squeeze his legs together and shift on his seat. "Maybe... maybe when we go back to my room...?"

Ivan's grin widened, "Sounds good to me." He placed a gentle kiss on Gilbert's cheek. "Now finish eating."

The albino immediately started to eat again, shoving large portions of meat and bread into his mouth. He finally took a sip of his wine, and it felt like his taste buds were just shocked awake. He had never had wine before; he always drank water or milk. He quickly chugged his wine, which Ivan laughed a little about. He knew this was all a bit new for Gilbert still, and he wished he could give this to him all the time.

After some minutes of eating in silence, Gilbert leaned back and breathed out, looking full and satisfied with his meal. He patted his belly a little and rubbed it.

Ivan stood up, and then extended a hand to the albino, "Shall we go?" he asked, smiling softly.

Gilbert blushed faintly and nodded, and gently placed his hand in Ivan's.

.

Gilbert stood in the middle of the room at the top of the castle. Even after that wonderful meal and the promise of being 'eaten' by Ivan, being back in this room usually meant waiting for Ivan to put the chains around his wrists again, waiting for when he had to leave. Waiting for the Captain to come back...

Ivan could tell that something was bothering him, but he wasn't sure why. He thought Gilbert wanted to do this.

"Gilbert... talk to me." His voice practically begging him.

The albino turned his head a little, his eyes flat and dead and looking right at the Prince. "I'm... sad." He stated quietly, but the words cut deep into Ivan's heart; he wanted to make him smile again. "I know you said we'd... do stuff, when we got back up here, but I'm worried that you'll back out because of what happened with the guard. Your comfort is all I have now; I don't want to lose it."

Ivan took in a small breath. "I don't want you to be scared of me..."

"But you weren't the one who assaulted me, Ivan." His voice sounded desperate, and he turned his body fully to Ivan. He reached a hand up and he pulled slowly on the little strings holding his tunic together. "I'm not scared of you. Please... I want to feel you again. I need it." his voice cracked slightly, and his tunic slid down his arms a little.

Ivan exhaled, letting his eyes trail up and down Gilbert's partly exposed chest. "You're sure?"

The pale male nodded and started undoing the string of his pants, but Ivan suddenly told him to stop. Gilbert looked confused and almost hurt.

"Let's go back to my room. You're going to stay with me tonight."

Gilbert's eyes widened, "Really...?"

Ivan nodded, "My father won't be back until tomorrow evening, so we'll sleep together, wake up and eat, and then we'll take a long bath together." He walked to Gilbert and pulled the albino's shirt back up his arms and tied it. "Does that sound okay?"

Gilbert nodded, "It does."

"Good."

Ivan grabbed Gilbert's hand and led him out of the room. Then went down two flights of stairs and down a long hallway, where Ivan pushed open a door and pulled Gilbert inside. It was fairly dark aside from the sun shining into the room a little, but that kind of set the mood for what was about to happen.

The smaller male walked to the center of the room and wasted no time in removing his tunic again. He let it fall around his ankles, and while Ivan was locking the several locks on his door, Gilbert pulled the string holding his pants around his waist and then let them fall around his ankles. He stepped out of the pile of clothing at his feet and stood there naked for a moment.

Ivan finished with the locks, turned around and then gasped. He wasn't expecting to see that naked body already, but he didn't care. He let his eyes trail up and down the lithe body. There wasn't a single flaw on his skin, aside from the scars on his ribs.

The albino let Ivan study his bare body for a while. His gaze didn't scare him or even embarrass him; it just made him feel warm. He extended his arms out toward Ivan, beckoning him to come to him.

Ivan went to him instantly and wrapped his arms around the smaller body. His hands slid down the smooth skin of Gilbert's back and then moved back up. He took a moment to just hold Gilbert there, to take in his scent, and listen to his breathing.

Gilbert closed his eyes when Ivan's warmth engulfed him. He felt so safe in his arms. He nuzzled under Ivan's chin a little, making a soft moan in his throat to hopefully let Ivan know that he was all right. He knew that the Prince was still nervous to do anything with him now, even after their passionate kiss at dinner and after he gave him his word that it was okay, and he cursed the Captain several times over for it, but right now, he needed to feel Ivan, to get the feeling of that guard off of him fully.

Ivan pulled back for a second and then leaned down a little to sweep Gilbert off of his feet and into his arms. Gilbert wrapped his thin arms around Ivan's shoulders as he was carried to the large plush bed. Ivan set him down, and then knelt on the bed between Gilbert's legs.

Gilbert took a moment to enjoy how his body sunk down into the nice bed, but his attention soon went to the warm hand trailing down his body.

"Did he touch you down here?" Ivan asked, ghosting his hand over Gilbert's groin.

The albino gave a weak nod, "Only a little, though... and it hurt too."

Ivan's jaw stiffened and he scooted down. He hated the fact that someone else had touched Gilbert here, but the fact that it also hurt him made him even angrier. He then bent at his waist and started to plant slow kisses on Gilbert's torso. He nibbled a little on the jutting collarbone, and then moved down a little more. His lips clasped around one of Gilbert's cute pink nipples and licked at it. The feeling brought a little gasp from the albino's mouth but it didn't alarm Ivan or stop him. The Russian continued to lap at the nub, thoroughly enjoying how Gilbert was writhing subtly under him. Gilbert started to whine a little, he loved the feeling of Ivan's warm mouth on him, and he suddenly let out a little gasp when Ivan's teeth bit around the nub, his tongue teasing it excruciatingly at the same time.

"Sorry, did that hurt?" Ivan gave it a gentle lick.

Gilbert shook his head a little, "No... no, it felt good..." he admitted, blushing softly.

Ivan smiled and placed his lips back around the nub. One of his hands slid up to Gilbert's chest from his waist and his fingers started to play with the albino's other nipple, pinching and pushing it until it stood stiffly atop his pretty body. By this time, Ivan could feel Gilbert's cock beginning to press up against his belly, but he wanted to tease the other a little more, make him hot and needy, and Ivan knew that Gilbert was already wanting this, so it wouldn't be hard to push him over the edge. Ivan pinched the nub of his nipple several times over until it was almost painful for Gilbert, but each pinch made him jolt with pleasure, and it felt good enough to make that blush darker and those little whines struggle at the back of his throat. His kisses and licks to the other nipple were getting slow, sloppy, and wet, and that was clearly making Gilbert hotter. It made Ivan grin at how naughty Gilbert could be. The albino definitely never made it a secret that he loved to be touched, and it was so easy to get him horny. Usually the heavy, sloppy kisses got his blood pumping south quicker than much else. Ivan found that out over the last 2 weeks, and he couldn't deny that he loved it.

Once he decided that Gilbert was hard enough, he started to kiss down the man's soft skin. His lips gave little kisses to the small scars that had formed on his rib cage over the last 2 weeks, and then moved down to his belly. He could feel that Gilbert was still pretty full from dinner and gave a teasing little poke to his belly, and then he prodded his tongue into his bellybutton, which made Gilbert twitch and giggle a little. Ivan found it adorable, but adorable in a way that made his own cock start to rise. He had to keep that under control - he was here for Gilbert and Gilbert only.

Gilbert's legs moved up a little, almost on both sides of Ivan. It didn't bother the Russian. In fact, it only encouraged him. Something about the albino just got his heart thumping fast. He moved down more, slid his hands along Gilbert's thighs, peeled his legs apart more, and nuzzled his nose into the tuft of white hair on his groin. It made Gilbert's body twitch a little more from the sensitivity, and Ivan chuckled a little. He loved how cute Gilbert was. He was just so perfect, and Ivan wanted to make him feel great.

With caution, he placed a light kiss to the base of Gilbert's erection. Gilbert gasped softly and gave a subtle thrust of his hips up. Ivan took that as a sign that Gilbert was all right with it, and he started to leave a trail of kisses down Gilbert's cock until he reached the tip. He wrapped his lips around the head, putting the fingers of one hand around the rest of him, and gave a little suck. A small cry passed Gilbert's lips, and Ivan could taste the albino in his mouth already. It was a weird taste, but one that made Ivan's heart pound.

Ivan suddenly took all of Gilbert into his mouth, and Gilbert simultaneously took in as much air as his lungs could hold, making his belly cave in. It was a beautiful sound, and Ivan began to rub his tongue along the underside of Gilbert's still-growing erection, and he reveled in how the smaller body twitched every few seconds.

After a moment, Ivan pulled his mouth off of Gilbert and wiped his lips free of saliva. "Hey Gilbert..." he spoke to get Gilbert's attention. He moved his other hand from Gilbert's thigh down to cup the other's balls in his palm. The albino gasped, but needless to say, all his attention belonged to Ivan. "Remember the first time we touched each other? In the bath?" he asked as he caressed the organs in his palm slowly.

Gilbert cried softly when Ivan gently squeezed both of his hands, "Y-Yes..." he panted.

"You said you had fantasies of us all the time before you came here..." Ivan glanced up to meet Gilbert's pink eyes, as well as the dark red blush coloring most of his face and ears, "was this one of them?"

The albino turned his head, pouting slightly. "Y-Yeah..." he stuttered. He had hoped that Ivan would never find out about his other fantasies; they had done so well to not speak of them.

Ivan flicked his tongue across the slit of Gilbert's cock as soon as he spoke, making the smaller body jolt and gasp out loudly. Gilbert's toes curled and he whined under Ivan. The sound made Ivan grin slightly, and he pressed his lips over the albino again. He started to bob his head and lick and suck at every chance he got. It pulled a string of beautiful little noises from Gilbert's lips. Mewls and moans, little grunts, his body twitching and jolting whenever Ivan touched his more sensitive spots, and Gilbert just _melted_. This treatment was just what he needed, and although maybe not the most rational solution to his pain, it certainly felt nice, and it didn't just feel good, it felt _right_. Something about how Ivan was touching him, kissing and licking at him and gently massaging his other organs. On top of all that, he was in Ivan's room now, surrounded by his scent on all sides, it all made him feel safe and carefree. It felt like he was meant to be here with Ivan, they just meshed together and fit perfectly.

The albino's thin fingers found their way into Ivan's hair and he started to mumble Ivan's name in a strangled voice. Ivan could tell that he was getting close to his climax; he usually started to mumble Ivan's name when he was. Ivan glanced up at Gilbert and smiled around the swollen cock in his mouth. He started to move faster, not wanting to cause too much pain for Gilbert. He bobbed his head and occasionally flicked his tongue quickly over the slit, making Gilbert cry out in loud breathy gasps each time he did. He would never get tired of feeling Gilbert twitch and jolt under him like this; he loved making Gilbert feel so good to the point that he had to scream out.

The smaller body tensed and a loud cry escaped his lips. Ivan pulled back instantly when his mouth suddenly filled with Gilbert's seed, and he took a moment to swallow most of it. He wiped at his mouth a little before crawling up and resting his body on top of Gilbert's. He absolutely loved how exhausted Gilbert looked after reaching his orgasm - His eyes were half-lidded and his face was flushed a dark red, a thin layer of sweat was on his forehead and he panted out heavily. Ivan had seen this look so many times in the last 2 weeks or so, but tonight felt different. Maybe it was that Ivan knew he loves Gilbert, and it felt better to make Gilbert feel good. Or maybe it had just been a few days since they've done anything like this so it just felt nice to do it again.

Ivan believed it was the first one.

"You're adorable..." Ivan whispered softly. He stroked up and down Gilbert's thin arm that lay limply at his side. Gilbert's eyes were still half-lidded; clearly he was tired but satisfied. Ivan kissed his cheek. "I promise, tomorrow I'll find a way to take you back down to the sunflower fields, and we can talk again."

Gilbert lifted his arms up and wrapped them around Ivan's shoulders. "Good. And you'll stay here all night with me? You'll be here when I wake up?" he asked, his voice practically pleading the other.

Ivan rubbed up Gilbert's arm to his shoulder. "Of course."

Gilbert's mouth formed into a tiny smile and he lifted his head to give a little kiss on the other's lips. The kiss made Ivan smile and he returned the kiss sweetly.

Ivan then moved off of Gilbert to lie next to him. The albino instantly moved into Ivan, which the Prince welcomed immediately as well. He held him tight and Gilbert nuzzled against him, his head under Ivan's chin, his body pressed close, and their legs tangling a little. Ivan pulled the blanket up around the smaller man and tucked him in. He teasingly gave a subtle squeeze to Gilbert's rear, which pulled a small whine from the albino. Ivan grinned at the sound and just cuddled close to him.

Gilbert felt incredibly warm in Ivan's embrace. He couldn't keep the little smile off of his lips, like it was permanently stuck there. He was so incredibly happy that he got to sleep with Ivan in his bed tonight, and the promise of Ivan being the first thing he would see tomorrow morning made him even happier.

Minutes passed and neither moved nor talked. Ivan loved the silence, just petting Gilbert's hair softly and breathing in his lovely scent. Feeling the body in his arms move slightly as he breathed made him realize just how real Gilbert was, how real this moment was. The thought of whispering 'I love you' into Gilbert's ear was all he could think about. He imagined Gilbert slowly looking up at him, a blush growing increasingly darker on his cheeks, and then asking 'What?' in that confused little voice of his, like he misheard him or something, when in reality he heard perfectly. Ivan would smile and run his hand through white hair and then he'd repeat the words softly.

Would Gilbert say them back? Probably not. He doesn't even want to be here. He even said that Ivan's comfort is the only comfort he has and that's why he wanted it. He smiled and looked happy, he cried out Ivan's name and was satisfied with his touch, but he felt like an animal in a cage and Ivan knows it. All Gilbert is doing is trying to make life bearable, but thanks to Ivan, Gilbert will probably never be free again.

Ivan squeezed the smaller man closer - closer than he had ever held him before. He mouthed those three words into the mess of soft white hair at his chin, and clenched him tighter like he just couldn't get close enough. He mouthed the words over and over, wishing that his voice would somehow just come out even a little, just enough to make Gilbert question what he said.

He never realized how much he loved Gilbert until the moment he realized he could never tell him. It would ruin everything and mess Gilbert's life up even more. It would probably destroy what they have now as well. Ivan could still touch and talk to him, and that's great, but... he wants Gilbert to know that he's doing it out of love, not lust or selfishness.

Ivan's feelings changed completely. He felt so different now than he did in the moment he first laid eyes on Gilbert. Back then, it was a want to be near him because he was different and beautiful, and now it's a painfully strong need to have him because he loves what he found underneath that. He never expected to fall so madly in love with the pink-eyed angel named Gilbert Beilschmidt, and the worst part was that he could never tell him.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**  
•The title of this chapter was inspired by the song 'Angel' by Aerosmith. That's the song I've been listening to the most while writing this story as well.

—

Thanks for reading, friend.  
If you liked this, please leave a favorite and/or a review. Thank you.


	7. Drunk and Jealous

**[Posted: April 3rd, 2014]**

Whoa, well it's been over a month since I've updated this story. Sorry about that; 'Icebreaker' took pretty much all of March to write, but I think I'm back on track with this story.  
Hope you enjoy the chapter.

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****Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor am I making any money off of this or any of my other writings.**

****Chapter Warning(s): Soft-core yaoi, sexual themes, fluff, angst, humor, use of alcohol, language, minor Antonio/Gilbert.**

* * *

Ivan took a deep breath when he felt the arm linked with his tighten, it didn't calm his nerves at all. He stood in front of a large set of double wooden doors, waiting for his cue. Once the doors open, he would step through. He told himself over and over that he only had to last for a few hours and this would all be over. However, he had a nagging feeling that something wouldn't go as smoothly as that. Like something was bound to go wrong. But what was it?

_'It's all right, calm down. Just go in and smile. Be the Prince you've always hated being.'_

Everything would be fine. Gilbert was safe – Ivan trusted Natalia with that. There were many guards stationed everywhere as well, they were all safe... So what was the problem?

Ivan breathed out a shaky breath; he did not want to be here at all. He had a horrible feeling about tonight, and his discomfort didn't go unnoticed by the person on his arm. He looked to them and received a smile. As much as he hated that it helped, the smile did calm his nerves a little; he was glad at least someone felt comfortable. Maybe he was just overreacting. Maybe it was just because he couldn't see Gilbert for a while and he felt nervous about that fact.

No... everything will be fine.

He heard a voice on the other side of the door – his father. He was making a speech about tonight's events. Soon his voice went quiet and the large doors split open, and light washed over Ivan's face.

"Please welcome my son, Prince Ivan Braginski!"

Ivan bit the inside of his cheek and took a step forward into the brightness. As soon as he stepped into the large and beautiful ballroom, all the guests around him began to cheer and clap. He felt the woman on his arm move a little closer to him and it revolted him. She may have calmed him earlier but he had no desire to feel her against him. He'd be lucky if he got through this evening without vomiting.

He walked down the path between the guests toward were his father and mother were sitting, with Natalia standing to the side. He gave a stunning 'princely' smile – fake of course, but gorgeous nonetheless. On the side with many of the other guests, his eye caught a woman. She wore a beautiful black and red dress and a black mask to hide her face. As he neared her, his eyes trailed down one of her arms and he noticed some faint bruises on both of her wrists. It was then that he realized that it wasn't a woman at all.

He grinned at his realization. It must have been embarrassing for the albino at first, but after a while, he probably got used to wearing a corset. Ivan kept his eyes locked with Gilbert's until he couldn't anymore. Just knowing that he was here in this room, safe and in disguise, was enough for Ivan. He also approved of the dress Natalia chose to stuff Gilbert into. Ivan wished he could have seen that process.

The Prince headed up the small set of stairs to his father, who stood when Ivan neared him. Both Ivan and the Princess bowed to their King and then stepped to the side.

"Welcome everyone, thank you for coming to this evening's masquerade ball." The King smiled with pride toward his son. "Today is a special day. Not only is this the first ball we've held at the castle, but today also marks the first day of my son's coronation process to become King." The words froze Ivan still. "Now please! Everyone enjoy the evening, and dance into the night!"

Everyone clapped and cheered again.

"Now, to kick off the evening, my son will take the first dance with his Princess." He smiled at Ivan.

Ivan turned to the woman he was with and forced the most convincing smile he could. "May I have this dance?" he asked, holding his hand out for hers. She smiled and took his hand. Ivan led her down the small steps and into the opening between all the people. They moved into a closer position, one of his hands on her waist, her hand on his shoulder, and their free hands locked together. Ivan took the lead and stepped to the side, she followed his movement, her dress flowing as they twirled together.

The King clapped and then urged everyone to dance, which they did, and with that, the party had begun.

The woman smiled toward Ivan as she was twirled around the floor. "You are very good at dancing, Prince Ivan."

"Thank you." He flashed a stunning fake smile. "Please, I asked you to just call me Ivan."

She giggled softly and nodded. "The King seems to have the idea that we will be married." She spoke. "What do you think?"

Ivan sighed. "He just wants to make sure someone sits on his throne soon; he's getting too old to rule." He said. He slowed down and began to dance a bit slower. "In all honestly – not that you aren't a beautiful and lovely woman, but I feel I am not right for ruling. I have... other interests."

"Oh?" she inquired with a tilt of her head.

"I am a young man who wants to see the world and try new things. I've been locked inside this castle for far too long, being trained to be a King that I don't want to be."

"So you wish to travel then?"

"I wish to be free." Ivan closed his eyes, and then opened them again. "Haven't you ever been forced to do something you didn't want to do?"

A smile appeared on the woman's face. "Not that you aren't a handsome and kind man, but I didn't exactly agree to this either." Ivan's eyes widened a little. "My father, like yours, has been trying to give me away without any consent from me. Though out of all of the men I've had to dance with, you are my favorite."

"I'm flattered." Ivan smiled a little, and then got a thought. "Perhaps, there is a way to end talk of our marriage?" he moved his arms to her lower back.

"I do not see how. Our fathers are both powerful, and it's our duty."

Ivan hummed to himself. "Maybe... but maybe all I need is the right circumstance." He said no more and continued to dance with the woman. He twirled in a circle, and off to the side, he caught the gaze of the 'woman', Gilbert, from before. He tried not to smile at him, it hurt badly. He wanted to dance with him and only him, and he looked so alone just standing by himself and drinking. Ivan began to remember back to this morning, when he woke up right next to his precious white rabbit...

/

/

He could lay like this forever, just softly stroking Gilbert's hair as the albino breathed in and out while sleeping. Gilbert was everything he wanted and more, he just wished that he could be everything Gilbert needed. He knew he was causing more pain for him, and Ivan desperately wanted to free him but it seemed impossible now. It wasn't as easy as just letting him go. The entire town and several surrounding cities would pester Gilbert relentlessly – all because he's been labeled as the demon pet of the Braginski family.

Soon, pinkish eyes fluttered open and before him he saw Ivan smiling at him. "Why are you smiling at me like that?" Gilbert yawned.

"Because you're beautiful and look like an angel." Ivan answered honestly as he stroked white hair between his fingers. The comment flattered Gilbert, bringing a little blush to his cheeks and he shifted his eyes away shyly. "How do you feel this morning?" Ivan asked.

Gilbert looked back to Ivan. "Better. It's nice to wake up next to someone, and not have shackles around my wrists, or be scared."

The Prince smiled and pulled the albino closer to him, pressing the small naked body against himself. "If I could have my way, you would never be scared and never be tied up – unless you want to be, of course." He chuckled. Gilbert's face lit up brighter, and Ivan only thought it was adorable. He continued to stroke Gilbert's hair as the man lay into him. Having Gilbert's bare body against him quickly began to arouse him. He couldn't help himself; it was a natural reaction for him.

Gilbert felt it on his thigh, and he was more than willing to resolve the problem. "You're getting hard." He smiled almost proudly, "Want me to take care of it for you?"

Ivan flushed softly but shook his head. "No, leave it be." He held Gilbert closer. "I want to just lay with you like this."

"It's a little hard to ignore..."

The Russian smiled crookedly. "I'm sorry. Please try?"

Gilbert nodded and snuggled into Ivan more. He tried to ignore Ivan's semi-erection on his leg, but it made him blush and feel like he was supposed to help him. However, as Ivan wanted, he left it alone.

Ivan closed his eyes, burying his nose into Gilbert's hair. _'I want to tell him that I love him...'_ he thought. It was eating him alive but he knew that telling Gilbert would only make things worse. Gilbert is trapped and saying those words to him would only confuse him. He had enough to worry about and the last thing he needed was Ivan confessing his love. It would be awkward, Ivan thought, because Gilbert did not love him back – how could he? And having to be together would make things extremely uncomfortable. Gilbert may even refuse to let Ivan touch him if he told him. Ivan wasn't going to risk that. As selfish as it was, he wanted to touch Gilbert, but Gilbert also needed his comfort or else he'd go crazy. It was for the best to just keep it to himself.

The Russian glanced down at Gilbert, who looked like he was sleeping in his arms again. He slowly moved an arm down and Gilbert felt it going toward his legs, he looked up at Ivan to see a wide grin plastered across the Prince's face. Before the albino could say anything, Ivan's arm scooped under his legs and picked him up. still wrapped in the blanket. He brought him close to his chest, like he was coddling a baby to him. He even rocked him back and forth a little. The look on Gilbert's face was proof enough that he was confused.

"How about we take that bath now?" Ivan suggested with his grin still in place. Gilbert nodded slowly and Ivan got up, cradling the other in his arms. "And then afterward we'll have breakfast, and then I'll take you back down to the sunflower field where we can sit and talk for hours."

"Until the King gets back."

Ivan froze and his happy expression disappeared. "Don't think about that. Only think about me, okay?" he smiled.

Gilbert nodded and wrapped his arms around the other's neck. It wouldn't be hard to ignore the world when Ivan was with him, and lord knows he needs to forget a lot.

.

In Ivan's private bathroom, Gilbert was placed on a little stool while Ivan filled the bath. The Prince turned to Gilbert and held out his hand. "Ready?"

Gilbert smiled and stood, letting the blanket fall from his body as he did.

Ivan marveled at him. The albino was so pretty, Ivan would never get over how soft and white his skin looked. His body was built much smaller than his own, so thin and supple. Ivan loved how easily his body fit against his as well, like he was just swallowing the man up with his own size.

After staring for a bit longer than it made either of them comfortable, Gilbert took Ivan's hand and let himself be led to the tub. He stepped over the edge into the water, shivering a little at the temperature, and then sunk down into it. Ivan couldn't look away from him. Gilbert was too beautiful and attractive doing even the simplest of things, it's just ridiculous. The boy just had a way of moving that excited Ivan in more ways than one.

The albino noticed Ivan's gaze on him and he smiled coyly. "Are you going to join me or are you just going to keep staring?"

Ivan's cheeks burned a little and nodded. He began to strip, and Gilbert couldn't look away, just as Ivan couldn't look away from him. The only time when Gilbert saw Ivan naked was when they took baths together like this; Gilbert rarely even touched Ivan after that first time, the Prince seemed to just want to adore Gilbert and that was it. However, Ivan certainly left nothing to be desired with his body. He was large – not fat or anything, just big boned. He had muscle that had faded some, but he was still fairly toned and strong. Then there was his, well... manly parts. Gilbert always felt a bit intimidated and frightened by it, and a tad bit jealous even.

Gilbert's eyes trailed slowly down Ivan's skin to his groin, and his face flushed red. _'I wonder what it'd feel like, to have him inside of me...'_ he squeezed his legs closer to himself when he felt something tingle down below. _'Why am I thinking this? I was terrified of the idea a few days ago... but... it has to feel good, or else people wouldn't pay others to do it with them... right...?'_

The Prince tilted his head. "Gilbert? Are you okay?" he noticed how red the albino's face was and how he was squeezing his legs together. _'Is he thinking something naughty?'_ the idea made Ivan grin a little.

Gilbert nodded and smiled shyly. "I'm fine. I was just staring." He spoke as Ivan stepped over the side of the tub, causing the water to rise up over Gilbert's chest.

Ivan accepted his answer, though he believed that Gilbert had to be thinking _something_. He wondered what it was. Was he admiring Ivan's body? Or maybe thinking about sex? He seemed to do that quite a bit, despite his fear of it hurting.

The Prince moved through the water toward Gilbert. "Would you like me to bathe you?" he asked. He had never really bathed Gilbert for him before. They usually just got in, fooled around a bit, and then washed up themselves. However, Ivan wanted to do all of it this time. He had time to kill and he wanted to clean every inch of Gilbert's body.

And Gilbert didn't refuse that at all. He gave a nod and Ivan moved even closer. He started down at Gilbert's ankles, and then began to rub up the thin legs. Gilbert leaned his head back, already reveling in Ivan's touch. The Prince stroked up to pale thighs from his calves, where he then groped at the thin waist. He let his fingers linger on his hipbones before moving up to his chest. He traced his collarbones to his shoulders, and then squeezed down his arms.

_'He's so beautiful...'_ he thought as Gilbert moaned quietly in contentment. The touches felt really good, like a massage. _'I love him so much...'_

"Hey, Gilbert...?" the albino opened his eyes when he heard his name. "Can I talk to you about something?"

Gilbert smiled. "Of course."

Ivan's heart pounded at that smile. Gilbert is just too cute!

"Well I... I've been thinking a lot lately..." he started in a mumble as he rubbed at Gilbert's upper arms.

Pale brows rose with interest. "About what?" he asked.

The look in Gilbert's eyes caught Ivan and he stumbled. "I..." he looked away. He lost his nerve. _'I can't... I can't tell him.'_ "I've been thinking about ways that I can... maybe get you better treatment here..."

"Oh?" Gilbert tilted his head.

"Yeah like-like maybe getting you better blankets when you have to sleep in your own room. Or... making the cooks prepare better quality food for you." He explained. "Little things that might make you feel a bit more comfortable here... after all, it's my fault you're here – I should at least try to make things easier on you..."

Gilbert blinked a few times, but soon his expression fell into a soft smile. "Thank you, that'd be nice."

The smile made Ivan happy, but he felt a deep ache in his heart. He wanted so desperately to tell Gilbert that he loves him. That he loves him so much and wants to hold and kiss him and make love to him. To make him happy and never let anything bad happen to him ever again. It hurt not being able to tell, but it was for the best. Gilbert would get scared or uncomfortable, especially since love is usually consummated with sex. Ivan knew that Gilbert was frightened of it and he didn't want to burden him with those thoughts even more; he knew Gilbert worried about it a lot.

"Turn around." Ivan suddenly spoke. Gilbert tilted his head but did as told and turned in the water, keeping his legs close to his body as he did. Ivan placed his hands on the albino's back, and began to rub his shoulders gently. He slid his hands to Gilbert's arms again and leaned forward, and placed a kiss on one of the shoulder blades. Gilbert turned his head a little, curious about what Ivan was doing. Ivan had a plan, and his heart ached for it.

"I love you..." he whispered, and began to plant kisses all over the skin of Gilbert's back.

The sudden confession made Gilbert flush but before he could say anything, Ivan's hands were rubbing down his back. They slid around to his stomach and groped his belly, touching everywhere he could.

"You're so pretty, Gilbert..." Ivan mumbled as he continued to touch the other's body. He slipped a hand up Gilbert's stomach to his chest. "Your skin is so pretty. So pretty and soft." His other hand went down, dipping dangerously close to his groin.

Gilbert's heart sunk when he realized what Ivan was saying. He didn't love him, he loved his body. That's how it was from day one. It was always about his body. He was pretty, like a doll for Ivan to look at whenever he wanted – to play with whenever he wanted.

Still... the touch was warm and comforting, and Gilbert needed all the comfort he could get. Even if Ivan was to blame, he was the only one who cared even a little about him, so he'd seek his comfort over anyone else's. He allowed Ivan to continue touching and whispering his sweet words to his body. He found himself not caring if Ivan was just adoring his body because Gilbert wasn't much different in that sense. He had adored Ivan from afar for months, getting off on dirty fantasies of him that were slowly becoming reality. They were the same, just loving each other's body. However, there was still some care for the person under the skin.

Ivan leaned in after a while and kissed the curve of Gilbert's shoulder. He mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' against his skin. He knew he hurt Gilbert, but he wanted him to at least hear him say those three words.

_'I promise... one day I'll say them for real.'_ He kissed the skin again.

The Prince then stopped rubbing at Gilbert's skin and cupped some water in his hands. He lifted them up, and then let the water pour onto the albino's hair. He ran his fingers through the wet locks.

"Lean back in the water, so I can wash it some." He requested. Gilbert did so, moving down a bit so that his head was floating in front of Ivan's stomach above his lap. Ivan smiled down at him and began to rub his fingers through the white hair. After a few seconds, Gilbert started to moan in the back of his throat. It was always so cute of him – his body and voice never failed to broadcast when he felt good, regardless of the nature of the touch.

The little moans brought some color to Ivan's cheeks; he couldn't deny that it was a bit arousing to hear Gilbert like this. It didn't help that he was right in his lap either. He wished he could make the albino feel this good all the time. Whether it was from romantic or sexual touches, massaging his beautiful body, or simply making him feel safe. He didn't care; he just wanted Gilbert to feel good.

Ivan's hands came to an abrupt stop when someone knocked on the door. He froze completely still and Gilbert sat up quickly. The albino turned to him, looking frightened. If someone catches them together, it'll be bad news for both of them.

"Ivan?" the voice immediately made Ivan breathe out a sigh of relief. "It's me, Natalia, are you in there?"

He sat up, "Yeah, give me a minute, all right?" he spoke and then looked to Gilbert. "Wrap yourself in a towel, all of you." He grinned, "I don't want anyone to see you even partially naked."

Gilbert blushed softly and nodded. He gripped the edges of the tub and stood up, giving Ivan a fantastic view of his dripping wet body, his back and cute little rear. Ivan himself flushed a little, finding it arousing but he forced himself to remember that his sister was at the door. He joined Gilbert outside the tub and dried himself off. The albino wrapped himself in a long towel that he held tightly around his body, not showing more than his ankles and part of his neck.

Ivan had a towel wrapped around his waist, and he went to the door. Once he opened it, Natalia raised an eyebrow at him. She then looked further into the room to see Gilbert standing there, his white hair dripping with water still. She pushed into the room and closed the door.

"I need to talk to you. Both of you, actually. I'm sorry for... interrupting you." She glanced to Gilbert, which made the albino's face burn a little.

"What is it?" Ivan asked.

"We've got a bit of a problem. Father has come home early, and he's throwing some sort of dance tonight." Ivan looked stunned, as did Gilbert. "He's brought the Princess back, as well as her family, and is opening the castle gates and ballroom to the public..."

"Damn... that is a problem." Ivan bit his lip.

"That's not all either. Katyusha is coming home as well."

Ivan held his chin in his hand. _'This is bad... father is moving things along quickly... if this keeps going, soon I'll be...'_ he glanced to Gilbert, who looked distressed. "How much time do we have?"

"Not much. Father just got home, and he immediately told me to find you. He wants to see you."

"Dammit." Ivan growled to himself. "All right, I- ..." he sighed. "Natalia, will you please escort Gilbert back to his room?"

Natalia nodded. "Does he have clothes, hopefully?"

"They're in my room. I'll have him meet you outside my door when he's done."

The Princess gave another, slower nod and then left. Ivan quickly dressed himself and then turned back to Gilbert. He gripped onto his shoulders, pushed the towel off, and gently groped at the soft skin of the albino's sides and hips.

"Let's go get you dressed."

Ivan led Gilbert out after he made sure Natalia was gone, and picked up Gilbert's clothes. When Gilbert went to take them from him, Ivan moved to the side, smirking childishly.

"What are you doing?"

"Playing." Ivan answered simply. "If you want your clothes, you have to take them."

Gilbert raised an eyebrow, and then turned on his heel. As he walked to the bed, he made sure that there was a sexy sway in his hips. He sat on the bed and then crossed one leg over the other.

"I have no desire to get dressed." Gilbert gave a tiny smirk. "But your sister is out there waiting to take me back to my room."

Ivan pouted. "Playing a wicked game of your own, eh?" He chuckled. "Fine. I'll tease you some other time. Come here, I want to dress you."

Gilbert hopped back to his feet and went over to Ivan. The Prince smiled softly at him and then leaned down on his knees. Ivan's face was close to Gilbert's groin and it made him blush, and it didn't go unnoticed by Ivan.

It was adorable, but Ivan didn't really have time to further tease or touch Gilbert right now. He brought the albino's pants to his feet and gently slid Gilbert's legs into them. He pulled the hem up to his waist and tied the little ribbon to hold them in place. He repeated the same with Gilbert's tunic, but once it was over his head, Ivan stole a quick kiss and then ruffled the white hair.

"I may not see you for a while, but Natalia will take care of you." Ivan spoke.

Gilbert nodded. "I understand. It's okay." In truth, he didn't want to be left alone, but he supposed that Natalia would stay with him for a while. Her company was better than anyone else's, besides Ivan's of course. The Prince smiled at him and took his hand into his, and then led him to the door. Outside, Natalia was leaning against the wall, waiting.

"Take care of him, all right?" Ivan's voice was light, but his eyes were pleading his sister to keep Gilbert safe.

"I will." Natalia said and took a hold of Gilbert's wrist. She looked back to Ivan. "Come see us when you're done with father." Ivan nodded, and then Natalia pulled Gilbert away.

He sighed. _'I guess I better get ready then.'_ He turned and went back into his room.

.

After dressing, Ivan found himself searching for his father. He wandered down one of the main halls. In the distance, he heard a voice yell, "Hang them higher!" and it made him curious. He followed the rest of the way down the hall until he reached the large open arch of the ballroom entrance. Inside he saw his father with a group of servants. They were hanging banners with the crests of different noble families. Ivan didn't like the look of it.

"Oh, Ivan!" The King spotted him, and his voice made the Prince jump. "There you are, I was hoping to see you!" he laughed heartily and went to his son. He patted his shoulders roughly.

"Natalia said you're throwing some sort of dance?" Ivan inquired.

"Indeed." The older man gave a firm, proud nod, and his lips formed a smile. "It's been far too long since the Braginski family held a ball in their castle! And besides, you'll be King soon, so you should get used to being in the public eye."

Ivan sighed. _'Why is he so hyper?'_ "Fine. I guess it won't be too bad."

"Not at all! We'll have wonderful musicians, delicious food, it'll be great!" he beamed happily. He seemed genuinely happy about this ball, and that's what worried Ivan.

"What kind of ball is it?"

"Something called a masquerade. It's getting very popular out west of here, so I figured why not bring a bit of cultural diversion to our castle? We already have several outfits and masks for you and your sisters to choose from, you just need to find one that you like."

The Prince smiled. "I'd better start getting ready then." _'This is perfect. With everyone in masks and costumes, Gilbert may be able to attend and get out of his room again.'_

"Though Ivan, before you go, would you mind helping us for a moment? I'd also like your opinion on which banners we should hang."

Ivan nodded. "Of course." He stepped closer and the king began to point to the different banners in a servant's hand.

.

"Is she pretty?" Gilbert asked, toying with the metal shackles on his wrists.

"Stop messing with them." Natalia told him. The jangling was giving her a headache. "And she's... pretty, I suppose."

"Does Ivan like her?" Gilbert questioned.

Natalia groaned. "Maybe? I don't know. Probably only because he's being forced to. Now stop asking me questions." She demanded. She guessed that Ivan hadn't told Gilbert how he feels about him; Gilbert seemed to think Ivan actually liked the Princess.

Gilbert was pondering another question regardless of if he was ordered not to. He wondered if Ivan really did like the Princess. He felt uncomfortable with that thought. What would happen if Ivan and the Princess were to marry? _'What would happen to me?'_

Both of their attention was directed at the door when they heard the lock unlatch.

Ivan's head popped in. "Natalia? You're still here?" he asked, blinking in a bit of shock.

"Yeah, I decided to hang out with him for a while."

"I see... well, thank you." He closed the door behind him. "Actually... it's good that you're here, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

"Another one?"

"Yes, _another_ one." Ivan repeated with a sarcastic tone. "Is there perhaps an old dress you haven't worn in a while?"

Natalia tilted her head. "Sure. I have a ton of them. Why?"

Ivan stepped further into the room. "Well, Gilbert will be attending this evening's ball."

"In a _dress!?_" Gilbert interjected, looking utterly appalled by the idea.

"Calm down." Natalia groaned. "It's not the first time you've worn a dress."

"That was a _robe._" Gilbert corrected.

Ivan shushed them both. "Gilbert you should be happy. I know a dress for a masquerade won't be comfortable, but my father is opening the gates to the public, remember?" he waited to see if Gilbert would understand what he was saying. When the albino did nothing but stare at him with his head tilted to the side, he sighed and continued. "Your friend Antonio may show up as well." he watched Gilbert's eyes widen. "If you're lucky, you may be able to find him. I'm sure you'll both recognize each other's voices."

"Really? He might come?"

"I don't see why not. The gates are open and he misses you; I doubt he'll pass up even the slightest chance to see you."

Gilbert smiled happily, quickly becoming excited rather than appalled about wearing a dress. If he could see Antonio and sit and talk with him for even a few minutes, that would be great.

"Now, I have to start getting ready. We have a few hours, but Natalia, I need you to make Gilbert look pretty."

"I thought I already _was_ pretty." Gilbert scoffed with playful annoyance.

"Okay... make him look like a woman. Also, I need you to somehow sneak him out of the castle."

"Because _that_ sounds like an easy task." Natalia retorted and then sighed. "He can just stay with me until the dance starts, I'll say 'she's' a friend of mine from town if anyone asks."

Ivan nodded. "All right, that works." He walked to Gilbert and held his face and very suddenly gave him a kiss. He turned back to Natalia. "Make sure he eats as well."

Natalia nodded in understanding, and Ivan looked to Gilbert once more before taking his leave of them.

Gilbert turned to Natalia. "Sorry you have to babysit me again..."

The Princess shook her head, telling Gilbert that it was all right. She unlocked the shackles on his wrists to free him. "Don't be sorry, I know how important you are to Ivan."

The statement threw him off, "Wait, what?"

"Never mind. Come on." Natalia suddenly grabbed his hand, "I have a lot of work to do if I am to make you look like a beautiful woman." Gilbert didn't have time to retort to her comment before he was pulled from his bed and yanked out of his room.

.

In Natalia's room, Gilbert hid behind the door to avoid being seen by the servant girl that had come to cater to the Princess. Natalia requested food from her, saying that she'll be busy getting ready for the ball and that she would like to eat in her room. The servant didn't question her, of course, and left. Natalia closed the door, and Gilbert let out a large breath that he had been holding in.

Natalia went to a large walk-in closet. "What color do you want to wear?"

"Anything red will work." He replied.

Natalia nodded to herself and fished through her older dresses until she found a long flowing red one with long sleeves on it. She had only worn it once or twice so it still looked new, and no one would likely recognize it as hers. She pulled the dress from the closet and then presented it to Gilbert, who looked far less enthused now than he did back in his room.

The Princess walked passed him and rested the dress on her bed. "It's good you're so small and weak, otherwise this dress wouldn't fit you." She grinned at him.

Gilbert groaned to himself, crossed his arms, and looked away. He knew she was only joking with him – an attempt to make this process a bit easier.

Soon there was a knock at the door. "Princess, your food is here." A voice from outside said.

Natalia quickly went to Gilbert and pulled him from his chair and bluntly shoved him into her closet. He mumbled in confusion but before he knew it, Natalia shut the door on him. On her way back to the door, she grabbed the dress and tossed it under her bed, and then opened the entrance to her room to greet the servant. The girl pushed a cart of food into the room and then bowed; Natalia said her thanks and the girl left.

Once the door was closed, Natalia went back to the closet and opened it to find Gilbert standing there, looking even more annoyed now.

"Sorry, I can't let anyone know that I have the 'demon' in my room."

Gilbert offered no reply, though he understood her reasoning.

Natalia pushed the cart of food to the table in her room and lifted the lid on one of the platters, revealing meats and fruits. She looked to Gilbert. "Come eat. Ivan will be angry if you don't."

Gilbert went to her and sat at the table, and began to eat.

As he did, Natalia gathered other things. A hairbrush, other accessories such as a hat and a mask for Gilbert, as well as some strange gel-like substance that was in a little jar. Once she laid the things out on a desk, she joined Gilbert at the table and the two ate in silence.

After a few minutes, Natalia looked to the other. "It's time to get ready." Gilbert nodded and stood up as she did, and followed her. She pulled some more clothing out of a wardrobe in the room and held it out to Gilbert.

"Strip and put these on."

Gilbert looked nervous as he took the pile of clothing. He blushed a little. "Um..."

"Oh relax." Natalia groaned at him and turned herself around. "I have no desire to see you naked. Just tell me when you're done so we can continue."

The albino nodded slowly, placed the clothes on a chair nearby, and began to remove his clothing. He quickly dressed in the outfit Natalia had given him, and it was a bit tighter than his usual clothing, much thinner too, and white.

"All right, I'm done." He spoke.

Natalia turned around and she had to muffle a laugh. "You look ridiculous. Do you even know what those are?"

Gilbert glanced down and then back up, and shook his head.

The Princess chuckled as she took something else from her wardrobe. "It's what noble ladies wear under their dresses, kind of like undergarments. It looks good on you." She teased.

Gilbert crossed his arms, feeling embarrassed. If this was Ivan, he'd retort, but this was Natalia – the youngest child of the Braginski family, and he felt like he had to at least be somewhat civil with her. Though, she did seem to be more carefree with him now than when they first met, which made Gilbert feel a bit uncomfortable, but also good too. She was coming around to him.

Natalia came over to him with a strange piece of cloth.

"What is that?" Gilbert asked.

"It'll give you more of a... 'womanly' shape." She grinned a little and wrapped the cloth around his body. She stood behind him and began to lace it up. She pulled tightly on the laces and Gilbert grunted.

"It's tight." He coughed.

"Stop complaining." She pulled again, making Gilbert grunt once more. She walked around to his front and looked at him, pondering with a finger at her lips. "You're going to need a chest."

"Excuse me?"

"A chest. Breasts. These things." She patted her chest, looking slightly annoyed. "You're posing as a woman, and in a tight outfit any woman will have a little bit of a curve there."

Gilbert smirked. "Funny, I don't see any curves on you."

Natalia glared. "Watch it." she punched his arm softly, and then turned back to her wardrobe. She returned with some rolled up bundles of cloth and quite bluntly shoved them into Gilbert's white shirt. She shaped them a little and then stood back. "Good." Was all she said. Luckily the dress covered most of Gilbert's chest so cleavage wouldn't be an issue.

"It feels uncomfortable."

"Comfort isn't what we're aiming for, Gilbert." She stated. "It's only going to get worse." She retrieved the red dress. "Lift your arms."

Gilbert did as told and Natalia lifted the dress over the albino's head, slipping his arms through the sleeves. She pulled it down and fixed and straightened it to his body and then laced up the back for him.

"Why is everything so tight?"

"Stop complaining will you?" Natalia groaned. She stood in front of him again and looked from his head to his toes. "Huh. Surprisingly it suits you. Red is your color."

Gilbert looked down at himself and flexed the muscles in his stomach, trying to get the tight clothing to breathe a little.

Natalia chuckled softly. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"I still can't believe I'm doing this."

"It's just so we can get you into the ball unnoticed." She stated. "We have to hide your white hair with a hat, and slick your hair back too." She retrieved the small container she brought out earlier and told Gilbert to sit. He did, and Natalia began to slick the gel-like substance into his bangs to push them back.

"You look different with your hair back." She commented as she carefully tended to the strands of hair.

"Really?" Natalia nodded. "I've never slicked my hair back before..."

"This'll stay in for a while, so you don't have to worry about your hair falling down."

Gilbert nodded as the Princess continued to fix his hair. She waited for a few minutes to let the gel dry and then placed a hat on Gilbert's head. The hat had a long cloth end on it that flowed down to his mid-back. Gilbert guessed it was best to wear a hat like this so the rest of his hair couldn't be seen either.

Natalia hummed as she looked at him. "I think we're done. I barely recognize you." She said.

Gilbert looked to a mirror on the Princess's desk. He agreed with her, barely recognizing himself like this.

"Go into that room over there, so I can get ready as well." She said.

Gilbert nodded. "Thank you for helping me." He bowed to her and then went into the side room.

.

Back in the Prince's room, Ivan stood in front of a mirror the size of a human, just staring back at his reflection. He dressed in the finest outfit and wore a dark blue cape that draped over his shoulders and down to his ankles, where he had black boots with a small 1 inch heel. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

_'I just have to survive a few dances, some talking, and then I can go back to Gilbert.'_ He told himself. _'Just a few hours and I can touch him again, and kiss him... make him writhe and moan for me again...'_ The ideas made his body burn with lust and he grinned with eagerness. Oh how he wanted it! Alas, he had to clear his thoughts. He had a party to attend after all; it wouldn't be good if he suddenly sprung an erection in front of everyone.

Even still, his heart was pounding slowly inside his chest as he walked down the hall, making his way to where he was supposed to meet the Princess, who he did not want to see. It was another thing he would just have to stomach for a few hours.

Eventually, he met up outside the ballroom. He could hear the chattering of the crowd inside already, and The Princess was waiting for him.

"Prince Ivan!" One of the guards called for him. "The King will make a speech soon and once he finishes, you'll make your entrance."

Ivan nodded in understanding and stood next to the Princess. He held his arm out to her, and she linked her own with his and they waited.

The King began his speech, and all Ivan could think about was that somewhere beyond these doors is Gilbert in disguise. He wondered what his sister dressed him in. Hopefully something red. Red looked so alluring on Gilbert and it got Ivan's blood pumping.

Soon the doors opened and the two went in together.

.

Gilbert watched in silence as Ivan danced around with the Princess. He stayed by a small table of fancy glasses and countless bottles of wine. Gilbert had already had two glasses of wine and he was starting to feel the effects of it. Part of him wanted to just drink until he passed out. It made him jealous to see Ivan twirling that beautiful woman around. She was gorgeous, and it made him angry. He blamed the alcohol in his system.

He noticed Ivan smiling and talking to her as they danced. _'He's actually enjoying himself...'_ was what he thought. Ivan looked like such a handsome Prince. This is what he's meant to do. Dancing at balls, entertaining a Princess, becoming a _King_. He wasn't supposed to be with Gilbert.

But... Gilbert didn't _want_ him to be with him. Right? Why did he feel so jealous?

He blamed the alcohol again.

/

A guard made his way up to the private room at the top of the castle. He had a tray of food in his hands – Gilbert's dinner. He opened the door, ready to greet the demon inside and taunt him about not being at the party downstairs. However, his eyes saw nothing but a dark empty room. He panicked, realizing that the demon was missing. He left the room and rushed to find someone.

/

Gilbert downed half another glass of wine; he was coming up on finishing his third glass. He began to notice some of the crowd swarming around the Prince and Princess, but Gilbert stayed right where he was. He felt like if he tried to move, he'd fall over, the table behind him was serving him well as a support.

He began to hear a small chant start: "Kiss, kiss, kiss." He didn't understand at first.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" the crowd shouted louder to the royals.

Gilbert's eyes landed on Ivan through a small opening in the crowd. _'Kiss...?'_ he repeated the crowd's words in his mind. He noticed Ivan looking a bit flustered, was he shy about kissing in public?

Unfortunately, Gilbert found the answer when Ivan took the Princess into a passionate-looking kiss.

And he felt his heart break in two.

Gilbert knew that this couldn't be their first kiss, so why was he bothered by it? _'... because I didn't see the other ones...'_ his eyebrows pulled together. He felt betrayed and hurt.

_'Why do I feel like crying?'_ he gripped a hand over his heart. His body felt hot with jealousy and anger, and he was doing everything he could to keep himself from crying.

_'He's mine... Ivan's mine!'_ he yelled in his mind, directed at the Princess who was now burying her face into Ivan's chest. He realized that he cared deeper for Ivan than he thought. He realized that it wasn't just physical.

_'I... love him.'_ He bit his lip. _'I love him. I don't want him touching her!'_ He set his half empty glass down on the table and darted off. He couldn't stand watching someone else touch HIS Prince.

He pushed his way through the crowd, holding a hand over his mouth. He felt like he was going to vomit, which could be because of the wine as well. Everything felt a bit hazy to him, and his feet stepped in inconsistent spots. Someone stepped out in front of him and he ran right into them. The person grabbed his arm to keep him from falling.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am, I didn't see you." The man spoke.

Gilbert wobbled to regain his balance, and then became alarmed, ignoring the man's words. "I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you!" He apologized and pulled on his arm. The man gripped tighter. "Hey-Hey let me go!" he demanded, panicking.

"Gilbert?" the man spoke his name and he froze, looking at the man in terror. "Gilbert is that you?"

"What? N-No, my name is-" _'Fuck, I didn't come up with a name!'_ he panicked more, tugging on his arm again.

The man pushed his mask around to the side of his head. "Gil, it's me." He smiled.

Gilbert's eyes widened. "Antonio?"

"Are you _drunk?_" he sounded stunned. "And why the hell are you dressed like this?"

Gilbert's previous fear disappeared instantly. "Only a little. And I'm in disguise so I could come to the ball. Don't say my name too loud either!" he hissed in a hushed voice.

"Right, sorry."

"How are you even here? I know the gates are open but..." he looked Antonio up and down. "Where'd you get these clothes?"

"Remember when you came to visit me? Well, the Prince left me a handy little coin that allows me to buy things and stay at nice inns. It's like a token of the royal family that I can use over and over."

Gilbert smiled. "Oh... I'm glad, really."

"Why were you running off anyway? You seemed a bit panicked."

The albino stumbled back a little. "Nothing, I just... felt sick."

"You're lying."

"No I'm not! I- I really did... but, I saw something that made me upset. I don't want to talk about it..."

"Okay okay, you don't have to tell me the details. But-" he grinned widely, drew back a little, and then held his hand out. "I demand a dance."

"What? No way!" Gilbert protested.

"Ah ah~ I think you owe me one."

"How so!?"

"Because I said so. Come on, maybe I can get your mind off of whatever is troubling you." Antonio grabbed Gilbert's hand, ignoring how the albino was quietly telling him to 'wait' and 'stop'.

"I'll lead, since you're dressed like a pretty little princess."

Gilbert jabbed him in the stomach. "I am anything but a princess, you bastard." He glared, but they both knew he was joking. It felt really nice for both of them to joke again like they had for years. It was nice to just be in each other's presence.

Antonio laughed softly and pulled the albino close, took one hand into his, the other on the thin waist, and began to dance. Gilbert followed his lead, but he couldn't help but stare at Antonio. The man looked so much different now. His clothes were much nicer than anything Gilbert had ever seen him wear, and he looked healthier too. His outfit consisted of a green and brown tailcoat, with leather straps buckling together in the front over a white tunic.

Gilbert felt the other's hand tighten on his waist and the brunet pulled him even closer. He didn't hesitate and rested his head against Antonio's chest, and closed his eyes. _'What is this... it feels warm, and... familiar...'_ he thought. It was different from Ivan's warmth. With Antonio, he _knew_ he was safe. Antonio could promise his safety and keep that promise; he always had. Ivan had no control over most of his guards and only loves his body. He felt unsafe and used, and with his newfound realization that he loves Ivan, he felt even worse.

Antonio pulled the albino even closer, wrapped his arms around his lower back as he slowly danced with him. A small gasp then escaped from Gilbert's mouth when Antonio pressed his lips to his temple.

"I'm glad I bumped into you, Gil." Antonio spoke, rubbing a hand up Gilbert's back. "I've missed you so much."

The words made Gilbert feel like crying. "I... missed you too..."

Antonio pulled back a little and began to dance a bit faster with him. He had a happy smile on his face, while Gilbert looked on, deep in thought, looking sad.

_'Maybe...'_ Gilbert began to think.

Antonio twirled around with Gilbert, smiling at the man who he had loved for years, and was still in love with. He only wished for Gilbert to be happy and healthy, but he knew there was something wrong. He wanted to remove him from this castle. It changed the albino, he could tell, and it wasn't a good change. He remembered the days when Gilbert would laugh and smile all the time. The days when he was a free little bird, running through the dark muddy alleys of the city. This Gilbert looked defeated and scared, and he hated how the bruises on his thin wrists have gotten darker since he last saw him.

_'Maybe... it's not Ivan I'm supposed to be with...?'_ Gilbert finished his thought, and suddenly the musicians stopped playing and the silence felt like a wake up call to him. He felt his stomach turn – once again he felt like he was going to vomit.

Antonio let go of Gilbert. "Thank you very much for dancing with me, Gil." He smiled.

"Yeah... you're welcome. Thank you, too." The albino forced a soft smile. "Listen, Antonio, I- ... I actually do feel really sick, I drank too much so I'm going to go rest for a while." He said.

"Oh... all right. Do you need someone to escort you? I'll go." He offered.

"No that's fine, I'll be okay." He smiled. "Thank you for the dance." He bowed his head a little and turned away, but was stopped by Antonio.

"Wait a minute." The brunet said more sternly. Gilbert looked up at him through the little eyeholes in his mask. "I'm happy I got to see you. I was worried I wasn't going to since everyone is wearing masks... I miss you a lot. I hope Ivan can find a way to let me see you more."

Gilbert nodded. Feeling his stomach ready to eject his lunch. "It- it was good to see you too." He didn't want to speak.

Antonio smiled. "Get some rest, you sound terrible." He joked softly.

The albino nodded again and Antonio let go of his arm, and then Gilbert walked away.

.

Gilbert headed for the large arch opening to the ballroom. He felt his stomach become queasier as he walked and his head felt light. As he exited the room, he clung to the wall to keep his balance. For a moment he let himself breathe, keeping his eyes closed and holding his stomach.

A voice froze him still, "Excuse me, are you all right?" The voice sent a chill down his spine, and he did not want to look up.

But he did anyway, and before him stood the Captain of the Guard, who looked a bit drunk. Gilbert breathed in sharply, pressing his body back against the wall as much as he could. He hoped to merge into the stone and disappear. The Captain didn't seem to recognize him, which was good.

_'I thought he was going to be punished...?'_ Gilbert thought in fear.

"Miss?"

Gilbert gasped softly. "I-" He coughed and made his voice a bit higher. "I'm fine."

The Captain's eyes scanned his body and a grin tugged at his lips. Gilbert slid to the side. He wanted to run; he didn't want to be near this man at all. He scared him and was giving him that look again – that look of wanting to ravish him. It was disgusting and made Gilbert feel exposed and defenseless.

"My, aren't you pretty." Gilbert shivered and his heart pounded hard. "A lovely little bird like yourself wouldn't be interested in flattering me with a dance, would you?" he asked, leaning down closer. Did he call everyone he found cute 'little bird'?

The man's breath stank of alcohol and it nearly made Gilbert choke and hurl on the spot. He backed away further. "I'm sorry, sir, I have to meet someone. I'm really sorry." He spoke quickly and stumbled away, nearly tripping over his own feet. He turned his head a little to make sure the man wasn't going to follow him. He was drunk and Gilbert half expected the man to try to force him to dance.

Gilbert jogged down the hall, still holding his stomach, and then turned down a deserted corridor.

/

The Captain leaned against the wall, feeling the wine fogging his judgment. He really shouldn't have drank that last glass.

"Captain! Captain!" the clanking of steel armor was heard approaching. "Captain, we have a problem."

"Oh?" he sounded uninterested but allowed the man to speak.

"It's the demon – he's missing from his room." The lower ranked guard told him.

"_What?_" The other growled and he straightened up immediately.

"I-I don't know. I went to deliver his food and the room was dark and empty." He explained.

The Captain growled again, but his thoughts went straight to the woman he was speaking with not even 10 minutes ago. He had a realization. _'That woman looked a bit strange, actually...'_

"Sir? What should we do?"

He thought for a moment. "Inform all of the other guards that the demon is loose, and to be on high alert for a woman in a long red dress.

"A woman, sir?"

"The demon might be posing as a woman to throw us off; I may have just spoken with him. Question everyone in red." The other nodded. "Also, if anyone finds him, chain him up in the dungeons. We'll inform the King once all of the guests leave. We don't want to start a panic."

"Yes sir!" the guard saluted and ran off.

_'That damn demon... I'll be sure to pay him another visit later.'_ The Captain's lips pulled up into a dark grin, and he began down the hall.

* * *

•I can't believe I finally wrote this chapter. I remember Skyping with my friend and coming up with events and plots, and this masquerade ball was something we were planning, and I remember being so excited just talking about it.  
•Speaking of that, I want to give a big 'Thank you' to my dear friend BadLuckFox, who spoke with me for hours one night helping me come up with several ideas for this story.  
•We got some minor SpaPru going on hmm? I mentioned before in a previous chapter's notes that Antonio has an unrequited love for Gilbert and that kind of came into play in this chapter, and it made Gilbert think a bit about who he should be with. Hmm.  
•Super excited to write chapter 8, though. I've been waiting for this time to come for a _long_ time.

—

Thanks for reading, friend.  
If you liked this, please leave a favorite and/or a review. Thank you.


	8. Only Us

**[Posted: 4/5/2014]**

The [hopefully] long-awaited sex scene has finally arrived! I'm very pleased with it, and I hope you all enjoy it as well.

.

****Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor am I making any money off of this or any of my other writings.**

****Chapter Warning(s): Use of alcohol, angst, smut, masturbation, hard-core yaoi.**

* * *

Once the music stopped, Ivan let go of the Princess and bowed to her. They shared a smile until some noble ladies came over and requested to drink and eat with the Princess, if it was all right with Ivan. He, of course, allowed it as quickly as he could, and actually encouraged them to take their time. The girls happily took the Princess, raving about how kind Ivan was to allow them to spend time with her. If only they knew how much he wanted to thank them for allowing him to be alone. Once the group of ladies was gone, Ivan made his way directly for the table of wine where he had saw Gilbert before.

He wasn't there; all that was left was a half empty glass of red wine. He sighed with sadness. He wanted to dance with Gilbert, even if there was no music. He looked around to try to spot the vibrant red dress that Gilbert was wearing, but he saw no one with the dress on. He wasted a few minutes just staring into the crowd, hearing the mindless chatter of the women and the drunken laughter of the men, some of the young boys pretending to be knights, and the girls practicing their curtsies.

It all sickened him. He didn't want even the slightest part of this sort of event, or the slightest part of being a royal. He wanted to run away from it. Run away to a strange land where no one would recognize him, with Gilbert beside him and live out his days waking up to Gilbert, eating meals with him throughout the day, drinking wine in the evening, and making love by nightfall. He wanted a peaceful life with the only person he's ever loved, but he didn't know where that person was. Natalia was with their father on the other side of the ballroom, so Gilbert couldn't be close to her, and that worried him some, but Gilbert was in disguise, so everything would be fine. If anything, Ivan hoped that Gilbert was with Antonio somewhere.

The sudden thought of Gilbert escaping the castle with his old friend made Ivan sad – and burn with anger. Antonio wouldn't dare take Gilbert, but Gilbert would jump at the chance to leave, wouldn't he? He knew that Antonio wouldn't deny Gilbert if he asked to escape with him. It made Ivan even sadder.

His eyes went back to his father, and his sadness turned into anger. Ivan was furious. Now that he was away from the Princess, he could break his act and despise this entire event with every ounce of himself. What was his father thinking – starting his coronation process without even asking him first!? This was bad. If Ivan wasn't careful, he'd be married and sitting on the throne before he even knew what happened.

After downing a glass of wine, Ivan made his way back to his father before the next dancing session started. He wanted to speak with him.

"Father!" He shouted as he approached.

"Ah, there's my boy! How are you enjoying the evening?" the King spoke with ease, and was a bit hazed by several glasses of wine.

"Not as well as I had hoped." He glared. "What do you think you're doing? Speaking of my coronation like it's something we've talked about."

"What are you talking about? We've talked about it. You said yourself that you like the Princess."

"Just because I said I like her doesn't mean I want to marry her!" he snapped. His sister, Natalia, was standing to the side and she looked sad, like she felt sympathetic toward her brother. Of course she did. He loves Gilbert, not the Princess. She couldn't imagine how hard this was on Ivan.

The King straightened up and glared at his son. "Ivan, you are a Prince, and you will marry and take the throne. There is no point in delaying it." He said sternly.

"Well maybe you should get _my_ consent first!"

"You _gave_ your consent when you agreed to see the Princess!"

There was an uncomfortable silence that fell over them and Ivan grit his teeth. He had to keep himself from knocking over a bunch of glasses in his rage. He glared at his father. "I'll love to see what becomes of your precious kingdom with a ruler who doesn't want to rule." He growled venomously. "You'll regret it." he turned and stormed down the stairs.

"Shall I bring the Prince back, your Majesty?" a guardsman asked.

The King sighed and slumped down in his chair. "No, just let him be. I'll talk to him later. No one is to speak with him until I call on him tomorrow, understood?" the guard nodded. "For now, just make sure the Princess is entertained and gets to her room safely after the ball."

"Yes sir." The guard walked away.

The King watched him for a moment. "Natalia, I want to speak to-" the King turned his head as he spoke and then noticed that his daughter wasn't at his side anymore.

.

Ivan paced through the large crowd of people, ignoring the shouts and cheers of glee from them as he passed. He hated it all; it's not what he wanted. Not even a little bit. He reached the end of the ballroom and he leaned against the wall.

"Really!? Are you sure!?"

Ivan heard someone say in a hushed tone, and he perked up a little.

"Yeah, direct orders from the Captain."

"How on earth did the demon escape? I thought he was chained up in his room?"

Ivan's eyes widened. He hugged the wall closer, trying to hear their words more clearly.

"Maybe one of the Princesses decided to play dress up with him. He's a pretty one – looks just like a little girl!" the guard chuckled.

"Yeah I'd like to play a few games with him too." Both men cackled.

"The Captain ordered us to chain him up in the dungeon if we find him." One said with heavy insinuation, and it made Ivan's heart pound. He couldn't stand to hear anymore. He needed to find Gilbert as fast as possible before a guard did.

He jogged to another entrance of the ballroom, one that wasn't fully guarded, and then ran down the darkened hall. He had to find someone. Natalia preferably, but she wasn't at their father's side anymore so he had no idea where she was. Katyusha would be another good person to find, she was probably up in her room reading. She's always hated parties like this.

However, even after minutes of searching, he couldn't find anyone. Most of the halls were deserted and empty, with only a few lit candles. He felt fear rising up in him.

_'What will they do to him once they chain him?'_ he bit his lip as he ran faster through the corridor. _'The Captain will likely hurt him again... I won't be able to stop him this time.'_ He felt his heart beat quicken. Gilbert would be thrown in the dungeon if he was found, accused of trying to escape, and then tortured and abused by several guards.

If Ivan couldn't clear this up quickly, Gilbert would be hanging by midday tomorrow.

**~Meanwhile~**

Natalia jogged down the hall, holding her poofy skirt up a little as she did. She had heard about Gilbert being found out as well, and she promised Ivan weeks ago that she'd help as much as she could. She didn't understand why her brother liked Gilbert, but it didn't matter. What does matter is that Gilbert is important to Ivan, and that's all the reason Natalia needed.

She passed a small hall, and from it she heard someone cough. She turned and went down the dark passage and turned another corner. There on the step of a staircase sat Gilbert, holding his stomach with a hand over his mouth.

"Gilbert!" She yelled in a hushed voice and dropped to her knees in front of him.

"Natalia?"

"We have to get you back to your room!"

He stared at her for a moment. "What? Why?"

"You've been found out! A guard noticed that you weren't in your room, so we need to get you back there, and find Ivan too!" She explained. "We may be able to clear this up by saying that the guard was drunk or something since most of them are at this point, but if not... you'll..."

Gilbert's eyes widened and he quickly tried to stand up. He still felt sick and he wobbled and leaned into the wall.

Natalia went to him and supported him by holding his arm. "Are you sick?"

"A little. I drank too much..." he admitted.

"All right, well just hold onto me, I'll help you back to your room." She helped him balance and then escorted him up the steps he was sitting on.

Natalia went as quickly as she could without making Gilbert feel even more sick. However, she heard a door open and footsteps approaching. She pushed Gilbert against the wall and placed a finger at her lips to tell him to be quiet. She hoped that the person would pass the hall they were in and they could continue to the next flight of stairs.

The person passed the hall, but Natalia suddenly let go of Gilbert and turned to the person. "Katyusha!" She called out to them, and Gilbert instantly recognized the name as the eldest Princess.

"Natalia?" the blond woman sounded surprised to see her little sister. "What are you doing? And who is that you're pinning to the wall?"

"Shh! Be quiet and come with me." Natalia grabbed her sister's arm and began to pull both her and Gilbert down the hall.

.

Back in Gilbert's room, Natalia shut and locked the door and paced through the room.

"Natalia what's going on? Who is this girl?" the older Princess asked.

Natalia turned to her. "That's not a girl; it's the 'demon' everyone's been talking about."

Katyusha's eyes widened and she looked at Gilbert, who just removed his mask and gave a crooked smile. "Hi, I'm Gilbert." He spoke.

Natalia cleared her throat. "You don't know but Ivan has taken a very special interest in Gilbert, and he wants him kept safe, but everyone else still thinks he's a demon. The guards found out that he wasn't locked up, so they're all on alert."

Katyusha looked worried, "But... doesn't that mean he'll be executed?"

"Probably, but I have a plan. You had no idea that he was the one everyone thinks is a demon, so we can make up a lie and say that he was with you. Say that you came with me to give him his food earlier and that you thought he was cute and decided to dress him up." Natalia suggested. "No one will question you, since you're so kindhearted and loved. Plus it'll make him look less like a demon."

"I suppose that could work..." Katyusha went to Gilbert and suddenly held his face in her hands. "You are pretty. And my little brother likes you? I can see why." She giggled. "Why do people think you're a demon? You don't look like a demon."

Gilbert stared at her in shock. "I... I don't know. My eyes, I guess?"

"They're blue and pink. Why does that make you a demon?"

"Ask the people who think it." He spoke, and then gasped. "I'm sorry, your grace, I shouldn't talk like that to you."

Katyusha laughed softly. "That's quite all right, Gilbert. Such a gentleman you are." She looked a bit closer. "Maybe one day I will play dress up with you. You're so cute, and your hair is such a unique color..."

Gilbert smiled nervously. He could definitely tell that Ivan was more like his older sister. Both of them seemed to see something pretty in him, and weren't shy to state their opinion on it.

"I wouldn't do that, Kat." Natalia interjected and grinned. "Ivan is very particular about who sees him, especially when it comes to seeing his body."

Katyusha smiled widely. "Aah, so you are _really_ special to my little brother then?" Gilbert blushed darkly. "How cute! I hope my brother is treating you well? He can get a bit rough and cruel sometimes, but he means well."

Gilbert was silent for a moment. "He's... been very nice. He's never done anything that I didn't want."

"Except bring you here in the first place." Natalia stated coldly, but honestly.

The albino's eyes narrowed, his eyebrows knitting together. "I guess so..." He began to wonder if his love for Ivan was real or not. He didn't want to be here in the first place, so maybe he was lying to himself...

"Natalia, look what you did, you made Gilbert upset!" Gilbert suddenly found his face smashed into Katyusha's breasts where he could barely breathe. And boy was Gilbert happy that Ivan didn't have breasts; he'd suffocate to death if he did.

Katyusha petted Gilbert's hair for a moment before letting him go. Gilbert stood up and began to undo the laces of his dress. The lace tangled and he tugged on them, but got annoyed quickly. He pulled on the shoulder of the dress, revealing the skin of his shoulder, but the dress was still too tight so he couldn't get it down.

Natalia noticed something wrong with the albino. His attitude suddenly changed and he seemed very distressed about something. She wondered what it could be, but she figured that being hunted by the guards and possibly facing death by a noose wasn't an easy thing to cope with. She wanted to say something, anything to try to ease Gilbert's mind a little, but she feared that she would just make it worse.

Gilbert pulled his hat off but didn't bother to mess with the gel in his hair. He stood there, defeated. Tonight was terrible; he just wanted it to end. He realized that he loved Ivan, but felt betrayed by seeing Ivan kiss the Princess, and now he faced death? Things couldn't get much worse.

The lock on the door unlatched, and all three in the room looked to the door. Natalia stood closer to Gilbert, in case it was a guard, but instead, Ivan's head popped in.

"Natalia?" He spoke, blinking a few times until his eyes landed on Gilbert.

"Oh thank god it's you." Natalia went to him and pulled on his arm. "Get in here." She demanded.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see Gilbert with you." Ivan smiled and then noticed Katyusha. "Kat? You're here too?"

"Yep~ Natalia said I can help clear up this mess with Gilbert." She said.

Ivan looked to Natalia for an answer.

"Kat will tell father that Gilbert was with her. That's pretty much it. No one will doubt her, especially since Gilbert is here in his room now."

"I see..." Ivan looked to Gilbert and notice how he was looking to the floor. He seemed upset.

Natalia saw her brother looking at Gilbert and she went over to Katyusha. "We'll leave you two now. I'll tell father that you're lecturing him and want to be left alone."

"No, just tell him your story; say that Gilbert is back in his room, and that I don't want anyone near him. Father probably won't bother me until tomorrow anyway. I got mad at him earlier." Ivan looked irritated.

Natalia nodded, and Katyusha went to her brother. "It's nice to see you again, Ivan." She hugged him. "We'll have more time to talk later."

Ivan hugged her back and whispered, "Thank you for taking care of him." When they parted, his sister smiled at him and then left with Natalia.

Ivan went to the door and locked every lock on it. He even lowered a metal bar over the door so it couldn't be opened from the outside. When he turned back around to look at Gilbert, he noticed that the albino was turned away from him and tugging on the laces of his dress. Ivan could tell that he was getting frustrated by the rough way he was tugging on them.

He took a step closer. "You won't be able to get it off like that."

"I know, okay!? I don't care!" Gilbert yelled and threw his arms down, gritting his teeth.

The outburst shocked and confused Ivan. "Gilbert, are you all right?"

Gilbert turned away. "I'm fine."

"If you're going to lie to me, you might want to get better at it." Ivan stated.

"Fine! I'm not okay, I'm upset and angry!" He shouted as he turned to Ivan. His face was red but not from embarrassment. He looked irritated and distraught.

"Why? Why are you so upset?" Ivan asked. He took a step closer, looking concerned. What made his white rabbit so upset?

"I don't know! I just-! I..." the albino started to stumble back. Just thinking about speaking those words, to fully acknowledge that Ivan had kissed the Princess – it made his heart ache. He hated how he was so hopelessly in love with Ivan. He didn't expect it to hit him this hard.

"Gilbert please, talk to me." Ivan pleaded with him. It hurt to see Gilbert this troubled.

Gilbert bit his lip again. He didn't want to talk about this but he knew Ivan wouldn't let up easily. He took a breath and glanced away. "I saw you kissing the Princess..." he spoke quietly.

Ivan's eyes widened at the words, though he didn't understand why Gilbert was _this_ angry about it. "And this upsets you?" the Prince tilted his head.

"Yes! It upsets me!" How could it _not_ upset him? Was Ivan completely oblivious to everything?

"Why?"

"Because I love you, all right!?" Gilbert yelled. He still looked angry, just now with a blush on his face.

The room rang with silence after Gilbert's voice went quiet. Ivan froze still, looking stunned, and Gilbert clenched his fists, shaking slightly with fear, anger, and sadness. He couldn't believe he just blurted it out like that, but it was boiling up and Ivan was asking. He couldn't deny Ivan, not even with this.

"You what...?" Ivan spoke breathily, still in shock.

Gilbert's face flushed red and he turned his head away. "I- I didn't _think_ I did, but then I saw you kiss that stupid Princess and I just- I-"

"What...? Gilbert, you what?" Ivan stepped closer to the blushing albino.

"I... I got really angry, and jealous." He admitted. "I don't want you touching her. I want to be the only one you touch."

Ivan smiled a little, feeling a huge relief. "Gilbert, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that..." the albino looked up to him. "How long have you known?"

"However long it's been since you kissed the Princess. That's when I realized it..."

Ivan's eyes softened and he began to ruffle Gilbert's hair, forcing the gel to give and loosen. "Let's get you out of this ridiculous outfit."

Gilbert stared at Ivan. "You're not upset with me?"

"For loving me?" Gilbert nodded slowly and Ivan laughed. "You're too cute. No I'm not angry. I'm very glad, considering that I love you as well."

Gilbert's eyes went wide and he blushed darker. "What?"

"Surprising to hear, isn't it?" Ivan chuckled softly. "I've wanted to tell you for a while now, but... I felt like it would just make things worse considering how you're trapped here because of me. I thought it would put a lot of pressure on you, but that was before I found out you love me."

"So... earlier in the bath, when you said you loved me...?"

Ivan nodded. "I really meant it, Gilbert."

Gilbert's bottom lip trembled and he suddenly threw himself into Ivan's arms. Ivan smiled down at him, and then untangled the laces on the back of the dress.

"I don't want to marry the Princess. I don't want to be king either. I just want to be with you." He stroked the white hair under his chin. After a moment, he pulled back and cupped Gilbert's face in his palms. "If I can get us out, will you stay with me?"

"What kind of question is that?" Gilbert asked, looking like he was going to cry. "Of course I'll stay with you."

Ivan kissed him. Gently pressing his lips to the other's pale pink ones. He let his mouth linger there, massaging them slowly, and then pulled back.

"You taste like alcohol."

"I was really jealous of the Princess, so I drank quite a bit."

The statement made Ivan chuckle. "You're so cute, you know that?" he undid the laces of the corset. "This all looks uncomfortable. How about we get you out of this and into your own clothing?"

Gilbert's only response was a slow nod, and Ivan continued. He pulled the corset away and threw it to the side. He pushed the sleeves of the dress down and Gilbert slid his arms out of them. Ivan ripped the waist of the dress, not caring that he ruined it; they'd have to throw it out or burn it anyway. Ivan pushed the clothing down from Gilbert's hips and then began to undo the little ties of Gilbert's nightshirt. Soon, the albino's pale chest was revealed. Ivan rubbed at the skin for a moment before moving down to the matching pants, and he quickly undid them as well. Gilbert stepped out of his little boots and then Ivan let the pants fall to the ground, and then the albino was standing bare in front of Ivan, just as beautiful as ever.

Ivan took Gilbert's hand and led him to the bed, he sat him down and step closer. He rubbed his hands along Gilbert's skin. Seeing Gilbert's body like this was quickly arousing Ivan. Ever since before he even went into the ballroom, he wanted to touch Gilbert. He had that fantasy of touching and kissing him, making him moan and writhe for him, and now he could have that, and it felt so much better now that they confessed their love to each other.

"Ivan?" Gilbert questioned when the Prince's hand stopped moving. He already had an idea that Ivan wasn't going to just dress him, not after everything that happened.

"Sorry." He smiled crookedly. "It's just... seeing you like this makes me really aroused..."

Gilbert smiled and scooted back onto the bed. "Then we'll take care of your arousal like usual. I want to." He blushed. "Come lay with me?"

Ivan nodded and began to climb onto the bed, but was stopped by Gilbert.

"No... strip first. I want to be fully naked with you."

The words made Ivan blush but he complied. He removed his clothing and then joined Gilbert on the bed. He lied next to him, lying on his side and facing Gilbert. He brought the albino close and moved an arm under his back and held onto his far shoulder. It felt warm and safe there, Gilbert finally felt safe.

"I want to lay with you for a while before we do anything..." Ivan mumbled into Gilbert's hair.

The albino blushed softly and nodded. They lay like that for minutes upon minutes, letting there bodies press against one another. Ivan stroked the albino's hair softly and hugged him close, but Gilbert felt the Prince's growing arousal against his leg, and he wanted to do something about it this time. Slowly, Gilbert moved his hand down and touched his fingers against Ivan's cock.

The sudden touch made Ivan flinch a little. "Gilbert?"

"I want to make you feel good..." he nuzzled against Ivan and stroked him a few times.

Ivan suppressed a soft moan. He wanted to give Gilbert pleasure as well, and sex was the first thing to pop into his mind. Was Gilbert still scared of it? Would he allow it now that they both confessed their love to each other? Did he want it as bad as Ivan did? He figured that it couldn't hurt to find out.

The Prince shifted his body so that he was facing Gilbert completely. He studied the albino's pale face. "I love you so much..." he whispered to him, and then watched Gilbert's skin flush faintly. The thought of being inside of this smaller body aroused him more.

Ivan blushed a little as he stroked Gilbert's hair. "... are you still afraid of sex, Gilbert?" he asked. The albino's cheeks reddened more and he turned his face away, but Ivan gently forced him to look back to him. "Don't look away from me." He demanded softly.

Gilbert stared at Ivan, and then slowly shook his head. "I'm still a little nervous about it... but I want to do it." He admitted.

"You're sure? If there's even a small part of you that doesn't want it, tell me and I won't do it."

Gilbert smiled and shook his head again. "I want to."

Ivan's expression softened. Gilbert was just amazing. He had never met someone so perfect, and now, he was all his. He kissed his lips slowly and tenderly, savoring the taste of his white rabbit.

"I'll take care of you." He said sweetly, but his tone was extremely sincere; Gilbert didn't doubt him at all. Ivan didn't just mean tonight, but forever – he would take care of Gilbert for the rest of his life. The Prince slid his hand down Gilbert's stomach. Pink eyes were locked with purple ones. The albino blushed softly, and his heartbeat quickened with anticipation as Ivan's hand trailed down to his groin. His back arched slightly when the Prince gently took his limp cock into his hand. With a soft squeeze, Gilbert whined out, and Ivan loved seeing that expression on the albino's face. He wanted to give Gilbert all the pleasure he could, and now that they both knew how much they love each other, these touches and kisses would burn hotter than ever before. He wanted to go slow, he didn't want to make Gilbert beg nor did he want to tease him. There would be time for that later. Right now, he needed to make sure Gilbert knew how precious he is to him. He would take his time, prepare Gilbert well, and make sure he felt safe and as comfortable as he could.

He gave a few slow strokes to Gilbert's cock, just to get him a bit warmer. He could tell that the albino was nervous and it hurt Ivan to see. Even if he wasn't scared, Gilbert still looked worried, which was only natural due to the pain that came with the first time, and Ivan wanted to make him feel good. Once Gilbert began to whine softly in the back of his throat, Ivan pulled away and hovered above him.

"I'm going to get something to make it easier for me to enter, okay?" he said, smiling down at the other.

Gilbert's cheeks were stained a light pink and he nodded. Ivan kissed him once more before getting up from the bed. The albino watched him go to a small cupboard in the room where they kept some healing salves and ointment. Ivan took out a little container, opened it, and stuck his fingers into it. The substance dripped down his fingers as he rubbed his appendages together. It wasn't too thick or too thin – it would work perfectly.

As Ivan went back to Gilbert, he noticed him shift a little and sit up. He stopped at the side of the bed. "If you start to feel scared, say something and I'll stop. I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you into this.

Gilbert shook his head and he got to his knees. He knelt on the bed in front of Ivan. "I trust you. It's everyone else I don't trust. Especially the guards."

Ivan ran his clean hand through Gilbert's hair, making him mewl softly. "I know. I'll get you permanently transferred to my room tomorrow. No guard would dare enter my room if he wants to keep his head. You'll be safe there."

"Can we trick the Captain into going in your room?" Gilbert asked. His eyes depicted a scar that hadn't fully healed yet. "I'd like to see his head roll."

Ivan smiled. "You and me both. I'm sorry I wasn't able to do more to him. Maybe after I get us out of here, I'll hire someone to take him out for you?"

"You'd do that?"

"Of course. You're mine and he touched you. I know I can't ever get you to forget that, but one day he'll be punished for it."

Gilbert smiled a tiny smile and sat up. He hugged around Ivan's neck. "I'm okay, I promise. I'm not scared, just a little nervous."

The Prince nodded. "I promise I'll make you feel good."

Gilbert pulled back and grinned coyly. "You always do."

"Let's continue then shall we-? Oh." Ivan looked down when he felt Gilbert rocking his hips against him. "Someone's getting impatient." A soft moan mixed with a chuckle. Gilbert thrust his hips gently toward him, rubbing their cocks together. "Turn over." Ivan demanded with a tight voice. He wanted to continue badly.

Gilbert complied and turned around. Ivan rubbed up his back, pushing down gently, coaxing Gilbert to bend over. The albino did and took a doggy-style position in front of the Prince. He felt his heart pound when Ivan groped one side of his rear and he moaned quietly.

"Are you okay?" Ivan asked. Gilbert nodded, and Ivan smiled. "I'm going to start then." Gilbert gave another nod. Ivan dipped his fingers into the container again and then set it aside. He carefully peeled Gilbert's cheeks apart and noticed him tense.

"Don't clench, Gilbert. You're okay, I promise." He leaned down and kissed right above Gilbert's tailbone.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a-"

"A little nervous." Another kiss. "I know. It's okay. We'll take our time." He rubbed and massaged Gilbert's rear, bringing more cute little moans of delight from the albino. He stopped and moved the cheeks apart again, and gently prodded his finger against Gilbert's entrance.

Gilbert hissed, "It's cold!" he blushed.

"Shh, I know. I'm sorry." Ivan cooed softly. He wiggled his finger a little until the tip pressed inside. He heard Gilbert whine so he didn't go any further. He let the smaller male adjust to the feeling.

"Are you okay?" Ivan asked yet again. Gilbert nodded and shifted his body a little. It felt weird, but he was anxious to continue, and Ivan gave him what he wanted. The Prince pushed his finger a bit deeper and began to wiggle it around. After a moment, he added another finger slowly, and Gilbert whined more. Ivan shushed him soothingly, rubbing his free hand up and down the albino's smooth back. Once he felt like Gilbert's body would allow him to move some, he began to move both fingers to stretch the muscle surrounding them. He pushed them deeper, squirming them around even more. He was searching for that little spot inside, and he assumed he found it when Gilbert suddenly gasped and tightened around his fingers. And oh _god_ will that feel good around his cock. He felt himself rise just thinking about it. Gilbert was so tight and warm and he felt lust pulling on the strings of his self-control, but he had to keep calm. Gilbert was completely new to this feeling and it would take a while to get his virgin body to allow him entrance with ease. Ivan memorized where that spot was, for future reference, and added a third finger. Gilbert yelped and twitched. The stretching was beginning to hurt, but he knew it was only normal for it to be painful. The part that scared him a little was the fact that Ivan himself was larger than three fingers, so... how painful would that be?

Ivan removed his fingers and Gilbert sighed. The albino looked behind him, anticipation shining in his eyes. Ivan wasn't doing what he thought he was, however, and realized that the Prince was reapplying the salve to his fingers. Before he knew it, all three fingers were back inside and wiggling around, stretching him more. He moaned out a bit louder, gasping every time one of Ivan's fingers brushed against his prostate. Gilbert felt himself wanting Ivan more and more with each passing second, but he knew that the other was just trying to prepare him as much as possible. Soon, the fingers slid out with a small _pop_ and Gilbert breathed out.

Ivan then climbed onto the bed, moving Gilbert with him. The albino suddenly gasped when he felt something much larger and warm press against his entrance. Ivan's hands groped up pale sides as he gently rocked toward the albino. He slid his cock between the cleft of the white lumps of soft flesh. Blushing and reveling in the feeling. He shivered some and leaned over Gilbert's back.

"Are you ready?" he whispered and nipped at Gilbert's ear. The albino replied in the way of moaning with need, pressing his rear back into Ivan, and rubbing against him. The action made Ivan smile and he pulled back, which made Gilbert whine with displeasure. The albino turned to look at Ivan and blushed brightly when he saw Ivan coating his cock with the salve from before. Ivan hissed softly just as Gilbert did when he felt how cold the substance was, but he continued on, bringing himself to a full erection. Ivan was glad that Gilbert was annoyed that he removed himself from him, it showed that he truly wasn't scared, and wanted this just as bad as he did. He spent some time stroking his erection; he wanted to make sure he was as hard as he could be, so it would be easier for both of them.

He gripped the pale rear and pressed Gilbert closer. "Is it all right if I take you this way? It'll be easier for me to enter, and once your body gets used to me, I'll flip you over so I can see your beautiful face."

Gilbert blushed and nodded slowly. He wiggled his body, raising his rear up more. Seeing Gilbert like this made Ivan's heart race. He was finally going to find out what his cute little rabbit felt like inside, how warm and tight he must be. Ivan almost giggled with excitement.

He pulled Gilbert's soft cheeks apart again and pressed the tip of his cock against the tight hole. He gave Gilbert a moment, and then slowly pushed forward. He felt and saw himself slip inside, and once the tip was in, he shuddered at the feeling.

Gilbert whined and panted softly. It didn't hurt at all; it felt just like Ivan's fingers again. However, he knew that as Ivan presses further, he'd stretch more and it would get painful. He only hoped that the ridiculous amount of salve they both had on them would ease that pain and make this easier.

Ivan pressed further in. He closed his eyes and panted out slowly and heavily. Gilbert felt... absolutely fantastic. He wasn't just warm, but hot. He was extremely tight still, and the salve was making it wet. Feeling him pulse every few seconds around him was nearly driving him insane. As Ivan moved even deeper, Gilbert's body began to reject him. The muscles tightened and tried to push him out, and Gilbert grunted quietly. The extensive preparation helped with an easy entrance but now he was deeper than his fingers were, so it was up to Gilbert to keep his body from clenching. Unfortunately, Gilbert had trouble keeping his muscles relaxed for Ivan, and the Prince noticed it. He leaned down and kissed along Gilbert's spine.

"Relax, Gilbert..." his voice was husky.

Gilbert grunted. "I'm trying..." he whined. He felt bad for clenching up so much. Luckily Ivan allowed him time to relax. He was thankful for that and breathed out steadily, calming his nerves.

Ivan kissed Gilbert's nape. "I'm going to keep going, okay?" Gilbert gave a weak 'okay' and Ivan sat back up. He moved his knees closer and pulled Gilbert onto him. Gilbert groaned out quietly as more pain settled in and shot up his backside. Ivan whispered a sweet apology and groped his skin as he continued inside. He didn't stop and watched Gilbert's body swallow him up. The sight of it got him even harder. With only a little bit left to go, he jerked forward, completely burying himself inside of Gilbert's body. The albino cried out, tears stinging at his eyes. He whimpered and whined in pain, and Ivan bent over his back again. The Prince's face was flushed red; it felt so good to finally be inside of Gilbert, and he could feel himself throbbing. He knew it hurt Gilbert right now, but he had to let himself revel in that tight heat constricting around him.

"Are you okay? How does it feel?" Ivan asked between pants.

"It—it hurts..." Gilbert whimpered.

Ivan slid his hands against the other's body, groping his belly and rubbing his chest. "I'm sorry. Bear it for a little bit longer okay?"

Gilbert nodded and sniffled. He inhaled loudly as Ivan pulled out a few inches, and then grunted as he pressed back in. Ivan repeated this over and over, allowing the muscles deep inside to welcome him. Once he was confident that it wouldn't hurt as much, he pulled out almost completely, and pressed back in. Gilbert tilted his head back and let out a shaky moan, his body trembling. He was teetering on the fence between pleasure and pain, and it was a good feeling.

The sound made Ivan more excited and he picked up his pace a little, still not going too fast and only moving a few inches. "How does it feel now?" he grunted, sweat building on his forehead.

"G-Good..." Gilbert moaned quietly. Ivan gave a rougher thrust and the albino cried out loudly.

"Shh, keep your voice down, my little white bunny." Ivan grinned against Gilbert's back when he heard the little whine from the other. Did he not like his nickname? No, Ivan knew that Gilbert was just embarrassed, but that was good. Ivan smirked to himself, finding it ironic that he calls Gilbert his 'white rabbit', but now, he wasn't so 'white' anymore.

Ivan lifted himself back up and held Gilbert at the waist. He pulled out and thrust back in, loving how Gilbert's body jerked forward and how he grunted and panted. It was good that Gilbert wasn't in pain anymore nor was he scared, and his tight body was welcoming Ivan with ease now. The Prince wanted more, so he began to move even faster than before.

It took Gilbert by surprise and he whimpered in response to the pleasure filling his body. His fingers gripped into the blanket and he buried his face down into them. He had no idea why he was so afraid of this before. It hurt at first, but Ivan went slow with him and let him adjust, and now it felt fantastic.

_'He's... he's thrusting into me...'_ Gilbert's cheeks burned hotter once he fully acknowledged this fact. He closed his eyes, squeezing some tears from them. _'It feels... really good...'_

Ivan suddenly slammed deep inside of Gilbert and stopped. Gilbert stifled a shriek and Ivan moaned when the albino's body clenched around him. It was a wonderful feeling. To Gilbert's confusion, the Russian pulled out.

"Wh-Why did you...?" Gilbert asked, looking over his shoulder.

"I want to look at you now." He easily flipped the smaller male over onto his back with a soft grunt from him. He grinned at Gilbert and gently tapped a finger against the slit of Gilbert's erect cock. "You're leaking." He commented with a light tone in his voice. Gilbert blushed even darker and he glanced away. Ivan lifted the other's thin legs, positioned himself at his hole once more, and pressed all the way in with one slow, fluid motion. Gilbert whimpered as he felt the pressure in his groin again, but Ivan didn't give him time to fully adjust and started thrusting.

He didn't move fast, however, and instead he took his time, pulling out almost entirely and pushing back in completely in a slow, steady rhythm. He locked his eyes with Gilbert's as he thrust into him. This was the part where he wanted Gilbert to know how much he loves him. He stared deep into those pink eyes, loving how they were hazed and half-lidded with lust and pleasure. He smiled at him and leaned down, giving a soft kiss to moist pink lips. Gilbert grunted softly into the kiss and closed his eyes.

"No, keep your eyes open. Please." Ivan begged him quietly.

Gilbert blinked them open as asked. Seeing the look on Ivan's face, like he desperately needed Gilbert to keep his eyes open, made him feel the need to cry and he didn't fight it. He let a steady stream of tears roll out of his eyes and down the sides of his face.

Seeing the tears made Ivan halt all of his movements. He gently cupped the albino's face. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked with a heavy amount of worry.

Gilbert shook his head, squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to force the tears out, and then smiled. He looked back at Ivan and placed his hands over Ivan's. "I'm just- really happy..." he spoke, his voice hoarse and weak. "I never thought I would have this."

"This?"

The albino placed a hand on Ivan's chest over his heart. "_This._" He said with more emphasis.

Ivan's eyes widened when he finally understood. He remembered how Gilbert had spent his life in fear. His father hated him, he was orphaned for a while and nearly died, but then Antonio came... Ivan wondered if Gilbert knew how much Antonio really loves him; it wasn't hard for the Prince to tell, because he loves Gilbert as well. If Ivan was being honest with himself, he didn't deserve any of this at all. He didn't deserve to feel Gilbert around him, to kiss those lips, or hear his sweet voice cry out in pleasure. To hold his hand, touch his skin, or talk with him. None of it was his willingly, because he took Gilbert by force from his only friend and used his lust to make him comfortable. Still, there was a part of him that couldn't regret any of it, because he had Gilbert now – the albino was all his to ravish and love completely. He would make up for how horrible he was before, he'd make Gilbert believe that he loves him more than anything in the entire world. That he's willing to kill for him, to leave his entire kingdom and family behind for him.

_'Oh Gilbert, you are more loved than you think.'_ He thought and gave him a kiss. "I'll be the only one to ever love you like this." He smiled softly. "No one else will ever touch your naked body like I do." He pulled out until only his tip was inside. "No one will ever thrust-" he pushed all the way back in and moaned in sync with Gilbert. "into you like this..." he finished. He closed his eyes, completely overtaken with love and the pleasure around him.

Gilbert held Ivan's face in his hands. "Open your eyes." He commanded lightly. When Ivan obeyed, Gilbert leaned up and kissed Ivan deeply and passionately. Once he parted, he smiled lovingly. "I love you, so much, Ivan."

The Prince blushed a little and actually felt like he was going to cry as well. He kissed Gilbert again, making the kiss last longer than the first one. "I love you too, more than you will ever know, but I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make you understand."

Gilbert giggled softly. "I can't wait."

"Oh?" Ivan thrust once; Gilbert grunted. "Are you that impatient?"

The albino deliberately clenched his muscles around Ivan and moaned so cutely toward him. "Yes." He admitted and Ivan thrust again. "Ivan... I want to cum..." Gilbert whimpered lustfully, rocking his hips slightly as if trying to impale himself on Ivan.

The Prince smiled proudly. It was extremely arousing to hear Gilbert beg like that. Even though he didn't want to tease or make Gilbert beg, the fact that the albino was now so comfortable with him made him want to. Next time they did this, which would be _very_ soon, Ivan was going to test Gilbert and see how much teasing he could handle before begging Ivan to fuck him. Just imagining Gilbert's voice moaning out, 'Ivan, please fuck me.' made the Russian's cock twitch inside of the other.

With that thought in mind, Ivan began to thrust again. He absolutely loved how Gilbert instantly began to whine, grunt, and whimper. His body writhing and twitching in pleasure.

"Faster... Ivan..." Gilbert urged him, and Ivan had no desire to deny his white rabbit of what he wanted. Ivan hooked his arms under Gilbert's legs, held his hands, pressed them into the mattress, and began to pound deep into the other's welcoming, warm, and tight body. Gilbert threw his head back, crying out loudly as Ivan struck his prostate over and over, wrapping his arms loosely around Ivan's shoulders. The bed was creaking, and the iron chains attached to the end of it were jangling and clanking together loudly. The noise blended strangely well with the slapping of skin and the grunts of pleasure. Gilbert continued to moan and cry out but Ivan muffled his sounds with a deep kiss. He roughly grinded their tongues together, making Gilbert arch his back and tighten his muscles around Ivan's cock. Both of them moaned into each other's mouth and panted heavily.

Ivan knew he was getting close to his orgasm and he tried to pump himself faster into Gilbert. He froze when he felt his groin spasm and he shuddered, moaning out as he spilled himself deep into Gilbert's body. The albino gripped tighter onto Ivan, practically clawing at the skin of his arms.

"I-Ivan." He whimpered, and the Prince realized that Gilbert hadn't cum yet, so he began to thrust weakly. When Gilbert realized that Ivan had already reached his climax, he blushed and whined. Hearing those squishing noises from down below was so lewd, but there was a part of him that was aroused by the fact that Ivan came inside. Ivan wrapped a hand around Gilbert's painfully erect cock and squeezed before jerking him quickly. Gilbert didn't last much longer after that. He whimpered and cried out softly as he ejaculated onto Ivan's stomach. After a moment, Ivan pulled out.

The two panted heavily, trying to regain their breath. However, Ivan thought that Gilbert looked absolutely adorable: The albino's face was flushed and glowing a bright red, sweat had built up on every inch of his pale body, which had become a light pink in several places, and his eyes were half-lidded with exhaustion. His expression screamed that he was satisfied, and that made Ivan very happy. The Prince peppered his rabbit's face with sweet kisses, giggling happily, and then nuzzled against him.

"You are perfect, Gilbert." He whispered, and kissed him more passionately. Gilbert was too tired to give much of a kiss back, but Ivan wasn't offended. After all, it's _his_ fault that Gilbert was so worn out.

"How do you feel? Ivan asked.

Gilbert swallowed and started chuckling weakly, and then he smiled. "I feel fantastic." He laughed a bit more. "I don't know why I was so worried about doing that! That was great!" He giggled and blushed.

"Are you still drunk?" Ivan joked with him and rubbed up his arms.

"Maybe." Gilbert sighed and relaxed. "No... I'm not drunk, I'm just really happy. I figured that sex had to be good, but I didn't expect it to be _that_ good."

Ivan pouted and flushed lightly. "Stop it, you're embarrassing me~" he laughed.

Gilbert wrapped his arms around Ivan's neck and brought his face down to him. "I want to do it again."

The Prince blushed and his eyes went wide. "Right now?" Gilbert shifted his eyes away in guilt, clearly a 'yes'. "Gilbert... I don't think that would be a good idea. Not only am I tired, but you'll be feeling pain in a little bit too." He kissed the albino when he pouted. "We'll do it again, I promise. Tomorrow night even, if you're not too sore, and every day after that. Maybe even multiple times a day." he grinned and poked the other's nose. "Maybe so many times a day that I'll have to carry you everywhere."

"Don't paralyze me." Gilbert retorted through his embarrassment.

"But wouldn't that be nice?" He laced their fingers together. "Just us, alone forever... no one could ever bother us again. I would never have to chain you up." He rubbed at the purple bruises on the albino's wrists. "And I could take you anywhere you wanted to go..."

Gilbert smiled. "It does sound nice, but... do you have a plan to get out? Last I heard, you're a few days away from marrying that Princess."

Ivan's eyes narrowed in sadness. "I know... I think I made my father angry as well. I basically threatened to ruin his kingdom if he sits me on the throne. I fear that he won't leave me alone until I marry." He moved off of Gilbert and lay on his back.

Gilbert moved on top of him, straddling him and smiling a little, as if saying 'everything will be all right.'

The Prince rubbed up Gilbert's sides. "You look good on top of me."

The comment made Gilbert blush. "Don't say things like that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's embarrassing!"

Ivan grinned. "Want to know what else is embarrassing?" Gilbert glared a little at him. "The fact that you're leaking onto me." He chuckled at how bright Gilbert's face turned, and also how fast the albino got off of him.

"That's your fault!"

Ivan laughed and sat up, hugged around Gilbert's belly and pulled him close. "Ah, but it's _your_ fault because you made me feel so good, my sweet little bunny~" he cooed into Gilbert's ear.

Red was stained onto Gilbert's cheeks. He was so embarrassed, and it's all Ivan's fault! How was he supposed to get that... stuff, out of himself anyway? And his backside was starting to hurt now as well.

Ivan kissed along Gilbert's neck slowly. "I'll stay with you tonight. I really don't want to leave you alone after your first time, and plus I don't want to risk someone coming in here while you're alone."

Gilbert moaned softly when Ivan nipped at his skin. "Can't we go back to your room?"

"We might be able to. Though I'm worried there might be guards there."

"But Natalia said that she'd call the guards off, by saying that I was with Katyusha."

Ivan smiled. "You have a point, and if anyone questions why you were in my room, I can just say that I decided to punish you for leaving your room without my consent." He bit Gilbert's neck, making him yelp softly.

"That's not fair." The albino whined.

"I'm sorry." Ivan apologized and kissed where he bit. He then stood up. "If we're going to go, we should do it soon. It hasn't been too long, so most of the guards are probably still down in the ballroom or escorting the guests out." Ivan spoke as he dressed.

Gilbert nodded and attempted to stand. He wobbled a little and fell into Ivan.

"Can't walk?" Ivan grinned proudly.

"I'm—I'm just a little sore! I can walk!" Gilbert retorted, blushing. He moved back from Ivan, trying to keep his balance but his legs were shaking under his weight. He didn't realize how sore he'd be, and he would only feel worse tomorrow.

Ivan didn't believe him, but he retrieved the red robe he loved so much on Gilbert. He also hid the red dress in the wardrobe as well. He went back to Gilbert and draped the robe over his shoulders.

"Red really is your color. I love it on you." He cooed and made Gilbert look at him, sliding a finger under his chin. "I love when your face is red too. It's so cute." His words made Gilbert blush more. "Shall we go?" he asked and tied the robe. Gilbert nodded and then held onto the Prince's arm for support. He felt like he would fall if he didn't.

Ivan smiled and held Gilbert close. He went to the door slowly and unlocked all the locks and opened it. Once he made sure it was clear, the two left and made their way back to Ivan's room.

* * *

•Just FYI, Ivan is never a virgin in any of my stories unless it's stated that he is. I don't clarify how many partners he's had; I usually just let my readers come up with their own idea of Ivan's past.  
•Also, that sex scene was incredibly fun to write. I wrote it all in one sitting too. That was nice.

—

Thanks for reading, friend.  
If you liked this, please leave a favorite and/or a review. Thank you.


	9. The Morning After

**[Posted: 4/10/2014]**

Hi there, welcome to chapter 9.

.

****Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor am I making any money off of this or any of my other writings.**

****Chapter Warning(s): Soft-core yaoi, sexual themes, language, character abuse, blood, minor non-con.**

* * *

Gilbert lay on top of Ivan's body, both legs on either side of the Prince, and a slender finger slowly tracing little circles on the skin of his chest. A blanket was draped over his rear to cover it, and Ivan was stroking his knuckles down the curve of Gilbert's back. It was perfect – the 'morning after' felt nice, like they both were just basking in the presence of the other. Gilbert almost felt like he was going to cry again just thinking about last night. He remembered the look Ivan gave him while slowly slipping in and out of him. He couldn't even track the intense amount of love and adoration that Ivan was giving him through those deep purple eyes. It seemed stupid to him now to think how he once thought that Ivan only liked his body. The man treated him like a god every time they were intimate. He always called him beautiful and held him, and never did anything he was uncomfortable with. Why did he think all of that when Ivan would kiss him in the mornings, talk with him for hours, and constantly make sure he was all right? Gilbert figured that he was so caught up in his own problems, wondering if he liked Ivan as well, and fearing everyday of being locked in that tiny dull room, that he didn't notice how painfully obvious it was.

_'I was so blind. How did I not see how much he loves me?'_ Gilbert thought and nuzzled his head against Ivan.

The Prince was smiling down at the beautiful boy on top of him, and he hadn't stopped smiling since Gilbert woke up. There was so much love in his smile, like he was thinking, 'I can't believe I'm lying here with him', like he just couldn't believe that Gilbert _actually_ existed. He really didn't believe it. He couldn't believe that Gilbert was now his to hold, to kiss, touch, and make love to. Every bit of Gilbert belonged to Ivan now, and as he said last night, he would spend his life making sure Gilbert knew how much he adores him. Ivan loved waking up to Gilbert naked; he looked so exhausted when he was sleeping. So peaceful, cute, and satisfied. Ivan felt proud whenever he heard Gilbert grunt softly when he moved. He felt bad since Gilbert was in pain, but at the same time, Ivan had given him so much pleasure that he just had to feel a _little_ cocky about it.

The Prince gasped softly when he felt Gilbert shifting his hips against him, but he passed it off as the albino just moving to get comfortable. However, that wasn't the case at all. Gilbert had begun to think about the previous night and had a vivid mental image of their bodies slapping together, of Ivan thrusting in and out of him, abusing that little spot inside of him. He felt blood starting to fill his cheeks and his lower parts tingle, and he wasn't ashamed, after all – Ivan was his now, so he didn't feel embarrassed about how easily the Prince aroused him.

When Gilbert didn't stop moving, Ivan blushed. He then realized that Gilbert was rocking toward him for a reason and that reason was sliding up and down his stomach as he moved, getting harder with each second.

Gilbert looked up at Ivan with an adorable little smile on his lips. He stopped moving. "Ivan." he spoke the other's name with a playful lightness to his voice, he clearly wanted something. Ivan blinked at him curiously, a little shade of pink on his cheeks. "I want to do it again."

Ivan's face was bright pink. "Right now?" Gilbert nodded once with an expecting smile. The Prince chuckled softly. "You're like a rabbit during mating season." He ruffled Gilbert's hair. "I'm sorry, love, we can't. What if someone comes in while I'm pounding into you?"

The albino whined, blushing at the image. "Then they'll come in."

"But I don't want anyone to see that." He barely finished his sentence before he moaned softly; Gilbert started rocking his hips against him, rubbing their cocks together teasingly, hoping to make Ivan give into what he knew he wanted too.

Ivan shifted, finding it extremely hard to resist the little imp, but he had to. Today wasn't going to be fun to deal with his father, and the last thing he needed was the kingdom finding out that he slept with Gilbert, or even just that he's kind to a 'prisoner'. If their sexual relationship was found out, Ivan would be shunned and unable to take the throne, which would be good for him, but Gilbert would be executed instantly. If Ivan was discovered being nice to him, Gilbert would be accused of seduction just as he's already been, and executed. Either way, Ivan would be watching his lover hang.

"Gilbert please, not right now. I promise, tonight I'll give you what you want." He smiled. "Can you hold out until then?"

Gilbert groaned and rested his head on Ivan's chest. "All right."

Ivan smiled and kissed the other's forehead, let his hand slip under the covers over Gilbert's waist, and gently rubbed at the flesh of his rear. "Are you sore?"

"Yeah..." Gilbert replied. He then blushed darkly and gasped when Ivan gently poked his abused and sensitive hole. "Ivan..." he whined.

The Prince smiled. "You still have a bit of me in you." He grinned as he felt the sticky substance on his fingers. "You need another bath."

"Stop teasing me if you're not going to fuck me!" Gilbert whined and wiggled on top of the other, blushing.

Ivan chuckled. "So every time I tease you I have to have sex with you? How will I get anything else done?" He asked with a touch of sarcasm.

"Well if you're teasing _that_ area, then of course I'm expecting it..." the albino mumbled.

The Prince kissed Gilbert's nose. "All right, I won't touch you there. Not right now at least." Gilbert pouted at him. "Hm... should I give you a massage?" both of his hands groped at each cheek of Gilbert's soft rump.

The albino moaned quietly as Ivan began to massage his skin. "That feels good..." he nuzzled against Ivan's chest.

"I'm glad... I want you to feel good. As good as I can make you feel." He traced circles on Gilbert's ass, and he giggled a little when Gilbert squirmed. "Are you ticklish here? You're so sensitive."

"Shut up..." Gilbert retorted.

"But it's so cute." Ivan continued to draw circles on his skin. He pressed a little harder so that he avoided tickling the albino, and Gilbert showed signs of approval by moaning softly in his throat and raising his hips slightly. Ivan thought it was absolutely adorable. Gilbert reacted perfectly to every one of his touches, but he wanted to see more. He knew that Gilbert was tired, so just how would Gilbert handle being horny when so weak and sore?

Ivan groped his rear, making him moan, and then began to prod a finger at Gilbert's hole again.

"Ivan!" Gilbert yelped and sat up, using his hands on Ivan's chest to support himself. "Stop it..."

The Prince looked a bit stunned. "Why?"

"Because..."

"That's not an answer. And don't say because I can't have sex with you." Gilbert blushed and looked down. "Really? Is that the only reason you don't want me touching you there? Because it won't end in sex?'

Gilbert looked to the side. "I don't want more of you coming out." he admitted in a mumble.

"What?"

"There still some of you inside. It's embarrassing. I don't want you making it come out..."

Ivan smiled, though it was more of a grin. "You're so cute, but okay. I'll stop, just for you."

Gilbert returned the smile. He felt relieved that Ivan would stop. It really was incredibly embarrassing. He wanted to deal with the cleaning process alone.

Ivan cupped Gilbert's jaw and brought him down for a tender kiss. However, it quickly escalated when Ivan pushed his tongue inside Gilbert's mouth. Gilbert, of course, didn't protest and met Ivan's tongue with his own, pulling a soft moan from both of them. Their tongues rubbed together gently for a few moments, savoring the other's taste. Sadly, just as they were both getting to really enjoy the passionate kiss, there was a knock at the door. Ivan immediately broke the kiss, pulled the blanket up over Gilbert to cover his head, and made him lay down.

"Ivan, it's Natalia! Let me in."

The Prince looked down at Gilbert and then to the door. "It's open." Natalia came in instantly. "Lock the door."

The Princess did and went to Ivan's bedside. She didn't realize the lump on top of him at first; she was too focused on what she needed to say. "Ivan, I need to speak with y-" She noticed that the blanket looked weird, and suddenly Gilbert's head popped out, his hair messy and sticking up in random places. Natalia just stared for a moment, and then looked to her brother.

"Something wrong?" the Prince had to keep himself from laughing.

"No. It's just... surprising, to see you two. In bed, together. Like this."

"Well, after the dance last night, we uh... had a little dance of our own." He grinned and gently pinched one side of Gilbert's ass, making him yelp a little and blush.

Natalia's expression went from urgent to flat and slightly disgusted. "I really, _really_ didn't need to know that, Ivan." She droned.

Ivan just grinned and hugged around Gilbert tighter, and the albino cuddled into him more.

"I have news, and not good news."

"What is it?" Ivan perked up a little.

"It's father, again. He called for me a while ago and told me to fetch you; apparently he's afraid to approach you himself."

"What does he want?"

Natalia sucked in some air and drew her lips in before speaking. "I think you're getting married a lot sooner than you think.

"I am not getting married to anyone." Ivan stated sternly.

"I know you don't want to, but father is pushing things quickly. The Princess is still in the castle and father had a bunch of decorations delivered this morning..."

Ivan growled and sat up, making Gilbert slide off of him. The albino still kept his arm around the Russian's waist. When he felt the arm tighten, he looked down. Gilbert looked distressed. Ivan placed a hand on his head and gave a gentle ruffle. He looked back to Natalia.

"I'll talk with father and try to work all of this out. Can you take Gilbert back to his room?"

Natalia nodded. "I'll wait outside."

Once the Princess was gone, Gilbert sat up and looked at Ivan. "Will you have to marry that girl?"

Ivan stroked Gilbert's hair. "I don't know... I don't want to; I'll try my best to get out of it."

"And if you can't?"

The Prince fell into silence.

"I see..." Gilbert moved his legs off of the bed. "You have to, I understand... but, will you still be with me as well?"

"Will you still want me, knowing that I will have to have a child with her?"

This time, Gilbert was silent. He didn't want to admit it but he couldn't be involved in a situation like that. He was too jealous. Ivan was his; no one else should have him.

"I will get out of it. I promise." Ivan kissed him.

Gilbert pulled away from the kiss instantly. "Don't make promises you might not be able to keep."

Ivan hugged around Gilbert's waist. "I promise I will try to get out of it." he gently stroked Gilbert's belly, enjoying the warmth of his skin while he had it.

Gilbert shivered a little but he leaned into Ivan. He never wanted to give this feeling to someone else. Ivan's touch was his, and just the idea of Ivan kissing, touching, and making love to that Princess made him angry and sad.

After a moment, Ivan removed himself from Gilbert and dressed. Once done, he turned to Gilbert and stood between the albino's knees.

"I can promise you this: tonight, I'll make you feel fantastic again." Ivan groped at his sides. "Actually... I have an idea..." He grinned mischievously toward the now blushing albino.

"What...?" Gilbert inquired, curious.

Ivan leaned forward, slid a hand down Gilbert's back to his tailbone, and whispered, "I want you to ride me tonight." The words made Gilbert shift. "I want you to climb on top of me, impale yourself on me, and fuck yourself with me."

Gilbert whined, the words instantly created a small pool of warmth in his groin. He shifted his hips as Ivan began to rub tiny circles on is soft flesh. "Don't tease me..."

"Oh I'm not teasing." Ivan pulled back and held Gilbert's chin between his fingers. "You'll ride me tonight – that's a fact. I'm not going to do anything. I want to see how you pleasure yourself with me."

The albino's pretty skin flushed so dark, it was simply the cutest thing ever. Ivan had to admit, with the thought in mind that Gilbert would be waiting for him, that he would straddle him and do what he wants with him, it made the idea of dealing with his father easier. At the end of it all, he'd have this beauty to come back to.

Ivan smiled softly at him and held his hand. "Can you walk all right?" Gilbert attempted to stand, which he managed to do well enough, though he wobbled and his legs shook a bit under his weight. Ivan helped him keep his balance and then assisted him in getting dressed. He began to walk with Gilbert toward the door, and then stopped.

"Oh, one more thing, Gilbert." Ivan spoke and Gilbert turned around. Ivan brushed his knuckles along the skin of his cheek. "When you're back in your room, think of me while you're cleaning me out of you." He said with a grin. The albino twitched a little, blushing dark. Ivan couldn't resist kissing the man at that point, and he savored the kiss for a few seconds. He leaned his forehead against Gilbert's and looked at him more tenderly.

"I love you so much, Gilbert." He said. "I'll try to hurry back to you as quickly as I can."

Gilbert nodded and gave Ivan a sweet kiss in response.

It made Ivan smile. "Now go, my sister's been waiting a while for you."

The albino nodded, and left.

.

Gilbert watched as Natalia put the shackles on his wrists. He hated these things. His wrists were turning an even darker purple than before and the skin was extremely sensitive. The bonds felt heavier than before as well, and he wasn't sure why. He really hated being away from Ivan, especially after last night. The morning after is supposed to be full of cute cuddling, long talks, maybe even another round of sex. Not chained to a bed with no idea of when he was going to see his lover again.

When Natalia was done, she looked to him. She noticed how he was staring at the shackles, and she forced him to look at her. "I'm sorry we still have to do this." She apologized. "I wish we didn't have to."

Gilbert stared at her, a bit taken aback by her words. "Ivan says I'll be transferred to his room today."

"Ivan might be married in a few days." She said sternly and removed her hand. Gilbert's eyes went wide for a moment and then narrowed upon realizing the truth of her words. "You should leave."

Gilbert looked to her. "What?"

"Leave the castle. Leave the town; go to a different part of the world."

"I won't leave Ivan."

"I know he loves you, but if he's married, he's going to be required to have a child; can you really watch him do that?" she asked, and watched as Gilbert retracted back into himself a little. "He will rarely get to see you, and eventually you'll be thrown back into the city with nothing, and in the city are tons of people who think you're a demon, now more than ever. You'll be killed, or worse." She sat next to him.

"I won't leave Ivan..." he repeated, albeit more shaky this time.

Natalia sighed. "You're willing to live the rest of your life chained in this room, being abused by guards, and watch Ivan have a family... all because he loves you?"

The albino looked at her, and nodded slowly.

"You're an idiot."

"Most in love are."

The Princess looked stunned for a moment, but then cracked a smile. "If it's really what you want, I'll try my best to help as well. Katyusha too."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, nothing bad has happened."

"Still, you've helped me a lot since I came here, so I feel like I should thank you."

Natalia narrowed her eyes. "You really are a fool... but I have to admire you in that sense. You seem to have a positive outlook on life."

Gilbert shook his head. "I don't. Before I came here, I hated life. Even while I was here, I felt used and empty. It changed yesterday, and I feel different." He blushed a little. "I'm still terrified though. I could be killed any day, and Ivan could be married."

"He'll try to get out of it, you know that. He never wanted to get married in the first place. He'll find away." She smiled and ruffled Gilbert's hair a little before she stood up. "I wish I could stay and make sure no one bothers you but I have-"

"You have things to do. I understand." He smiled. "I don't want you to have to babysit me every time Ivan's not around."

Natalia smiled back. "We'll meet again later."

Gilbert nodded and she left.

.

Ivan found his father in a parlor room, drinking some wine and reading.

"Sit." The King instructed, setting his book down. Ivan did as told and took the seat across from him. "I trust that you've cooled down since last night?" the man raised his brows at his son as he poured him some wine.

Ivan nearly glared. "Yes." He took the glass from his father and took a drink.

"Good. Your Princess was worried about you, and I didn't want you blowing up on her so I told her and the guards that you were sick." The man paused to take a drink. "So, how do you feel about the Princess?"

Ivan thought about his answer for a moment. "She's nice, I suppose."

"Just nice? You don't like her?"

"She's just... not my type." He answered.

"Well maybe you'll grow to enjoy her company after a while. You'll be marrying her soon."

Ivan's jaw stiffened. "Soon?"

The King hummed, knowing his son would disapprove of what he said next. "Tomorrow, actually."

It took a moment for the words to settle in, and Ivan mumbled. "What...?"

"You're getting married tomorrow, and then in a week or two I will pass my crown onto you."

"But I don't want to be king!" Ivan yelled. "I refuse!"

"This isn't about what you want, Ivan! You are a Prince and you will marry and become king and you will do it soon!" the older male stood up angrily. "You will obey me, or I'll dispose of your demonic pet sooner than I planned. I let you have your fun but that monster is becoming a complication."

The words felt like daggers into Ivan's heart.

"Now, when are you getting married?"

Ivan hesitated. "Tomorrow..."

"And when will you be king?"

"In a few weeks."

"Good. Now get out. I have things to prepare; all you have to do is show up and look happy."

Ivan glared at his father, downed his wine, and then stood up. "I'm really looking forward to ruining your kingdom." He set the glass down and left, leaving his father looking furious.

.

As Ivan paced through the halls, his previous bravery toward his father melted away and turned into fear for Gilbert's life.

_'Was he always planning on getting rid of Gilbert?'_ he asked himself. _'I have to see him. I have to get him out of the castle before my father... before he...'_ he walked faster, the image of Gilbert's bloody head rolling away from his body was burned into his mind and it terrified him.

He headed to the highest tower once again. He went up the steps, through the hall, and then turned up the small corridor to Gilbert's room. He stopped instantly when he noticed something weird.

The door to Gilbert's room was open a few inches.

Ivan felt his heart slow down as he stepped toward the room. He didn't hear anything and he pushed the door open. The room was empty, not a single person in sight. He walked in further, letting his eyes scan the room, and he noticed that Gilbert's shackles were undone and lying on the floor by the bed. His eyes went to the blankets, which showed signs of there being some sort of struggle. They were bunched up and messy. Then, he caught sight of something red on the white sheets.

Blood. Several little dots scattered around in the same area. His heart sunk at the sight and realization that the guards had beaten and taken Gilbert. He looked around the room more, but found nothing else unusual.

_'I just came from father, he couldn't have given an order that quickly...'_ he thought, and then realized that the king planned on getting rid of Gilbert very soon. He gave the order before Ivan even spoke with him.

He ran out of the room.

"GUARD!" he shouted loudly, and then again. No one came to him. _'Where the hell is everyone!?'_ he grit his teeth. He went through nearly every hall, spending minutes trying to find a guard, but there was none around. He continued to yell for a guard and was once again given nothing but silence, until someone yelled his name.

"Ivan!" Natalia came running down the hall toward him. A frantic look was etched onto her face. As soon as she neared him, Ivan grabbed her arms almost painfully.

"Where is he!? Where is Gilbert!?" he shouted at her.

"He was taken to the dungeons." Natalia answered.

"Why!? I thought you told father that he was with Katyusha!?"

"I did tell him! But I just overheard a guard outside say that they've been ordered to imprison him because he was out of his room, and they're waiting until after your wedding to deal with him."

Ivan let go of his sister, fuming. "Who gave the order to imprison him? Was it father?"

Natalia shook her head. "The Captain."

Ivan turned away from his sister and began down the hall again.

"Ivan where are you going?" She asked.

"To talk to father. I'm going to get him to release Gilbert."

"How do you plan on doing that!? He won't listen!"

Ivan ignored her and continued on.

.

Ivan threw open the door to where his father was, making the King nearly spill his wine.

"What are you doing?" he barely finished his sentence before Ivan started yelling.

"Release Gilbert from imprisonment!"

The other's eyes widened. "Gilbert? It has a name?"

"_He_ has a name! Release him!"

The King sighed. "I'm afraid I cannot do that."

"Why not!?

"Your wedding is tomorrow – the last thing we need is a demon possibly escaping from his room again."

"I thought Natalia told you what happened? He was with Katyusha during the ball." Ivan forced himself calm.

"She did, but I think it would be wise to have such a prisoner detained until after you got married, don't you agree?"

"So you'll release him eventually?"

The King eyed his son strangely. "Yes... after the wedding, I'll release... Gilbert, from imprisonment." He lied.

Having no choice but to hope that his father was telling the truth, Ivan accepted it. He was aware of the strange look the King was giving him. Natalia had told Ivan to be careful when speaking of Gilbert because he tends to sound affectionate, and that was more apparent to him now than ever.

"Now leave. Prepare for your big day tomorrow." The older male looked back to his book. Ivan could tell that there was something wrong. He didn't believe that the King would release Gilbert. Ivan backed up slowly, watching his father, and then quickly left the room.

.

He was furious, and scared. His father wasn't going to release Gilbert, that much was obvious. So he'd just have to do it himself. He paced through the halls, finding the door of the dungeon and then walked down the stairs. There were two guards protecting the entrance to where the cells were.

"Let me pass." Ivan glared at them both.

"We can't." One replied.

Ivan grabbed the man by the throat. "Move out of my way or I'll put your sword through your neck!" The man coughed and wiggled around with fear in his eyes.

"Please, your grace! We're under strict orders from your father!" the other guard shouted at him.

"He's right, Prince Ivan." Ivan let go of the man, turned his head in the direction of the voice, and saw the Captain of the Guard. "Don't worry; we're taking very good care of your pet bird. We've just... clipped his wings." He grinned.

Ivan glared viciously. "What did you do to him?"

"Oh, nothing much." The Captain hummed, leaning back against the wall. "A little of this, a little of that." He smirked evilly toward Ivan. There was something horrible hiding in that smirk, Ivan could tell, but he didn't want to believe what he thought.

The Captain sighed. "We'll release your little sex slave after you get married. Maybe then you'll give him to us since you'll no longer have need of him? My men are quite restless."

Ivan felt his blood boiling but there was a fear growing inside of him. Clearly the Captain knew that he and Gilbert had sex, but how? The thought of the Captain looking in _that_ area of Gilbert's body made his stomach turn, and it made it worse to remember that he caught this man abusing Gilbert once before. He would punish this man for everything he's done and anything he will do.

"Tell your men to fuck each other then."

"Some already have." The Captain chuckled. "Some have other... preferences though." He sighed and pushed off of the wall. "I'm sorry, your grace, but the dungeon is off limits to anyone except the King and the guards. You have to leave, or we'll be forced to remove you."

Ivan wanted so badly to punch this man right in the face. He wanted to break his jaw and make him bleed. However, he knew that doing so would make things worse for himself and possibly Gilbert, so he forced himself to remain calm and sighed.

"Very well." He spoke and turned away.

The Captain smiled as he watched the Prince leave, and then pushed passed the two guards, walking further into the dungeon.

.

The Captain knocked on the bars of Gilbert's cell. "Wake up, sleepy birdie~" he half sung. The cell had an inch of water along the bottom, which made things even more uncomfortable and cold. The albino chained to the wall immediately woke and looked terrified. Gilbert had been stripped of his nicer clothing and forced to wear a ragged tunic that barely covered his thighs. He feared the worst, and he knew this man would do horrible things to him if given the chance. His heart beat so slow and hard that it hurt and made him dizzy; he already felt tears stinging at his eyes.

The man unlocked the cell door and walked in. "Guess who just came to visit you?" He gave Gilbert a moment to reply, but he said not a word. "Prince Ivan." he finished, and watched a little ray of hope fill the albino's face. He walked to Gilbert and kneeled down by his side. "You must mean a lot to our Prince, or are you just good in bed?" He grabbed Gilbert's chin. "You're such a whore, sleeping with an engaged man, for shame. But you know, once he's married, he'll be plowing his pretty new bride and have no use for you, but don't worry, a whole lot of people will be fucking you then." He grinned. "You'll never be hungry, that's for sure."

Gilbert whimpered and tried to shake himself from the man's grasp, but even the slightest movement caused pain somewhere in his body, and the man just tightened his hold.

"Do you like it? Being filled with another man?" he pulled Gilbert's face closer. "Of course you do. Would you like some more? I have a few dozen guards who'd love to pump you full of themselves. Of course, I'll be the first."

The Captain pulled Gilbert's legs apart and pushed himself closer to the pale man, locking his body right against Gilbert's. With his arms chained to the wall, there was nothing he could do to try to escape. The Captain undid his pants and pulled Gilbert to him, pressing his cock against Gilbert's hole. The albino thrashed around and cried, pleading desperately for the man to stop. His protests resulted in him getting slapped hard with the back of a steel gauntlet, which opened the cut on his lip that he received earlier in his room, and sliced a few more into his skin. He sobbed and closed his eyes as blood dripped down his chin.

"Captain." A voice made the man twitch.

"Go away!"

"Sir, the King has called for you."

The Captain swore and pushed Gilbert away roughly, slamming him against the stone wall. He stood up from the ground. "One of these days, there's not going to be something to stop me." He kicked some cold water onto Gilbert and then left. He locked the cell door and left Gilbert shivering, shaking, and crying.

He walked passed one of the guards tasked with watching the entrance of the dungeon. He handed him the key. "Remember your orders." He said and then left.

.

Ivan had no idea what to do, but he did know that he needed Natalia's help. His sister was always good at thinking rationally, something Ivan clearly wasn't right now. He went to her room, hoping to find the Princess there. Luckily she was.

"Natalia." He spoke her name quietly and sadly when he went into her room.

The girl looked to him. "What happened? You look upset..."

Ivan closed the door and sat on Natalia's bed. "I don't think father plans to release Gilbert... he said he will after the wedding tomorrow, but he seemed really hesitant, like he was lying."

"That's because he was." Natalia stated bluntly and sat next to Ivan. "Father means to execute him. Isn't that obvious?"

The fact fully settled into him and he buried his face into his hands. "I can't believe I let this happen. Especially after last night. I told him I'd take care of him, and then we... and now he..." He growled under his breath, tangling his fingers into his hair.

Natalia scooted closer and rubbed Ivan's shoulder. "I know, you love him. It must be hard-"

"No you don't understand! Last night was-... it... I didn't want this to be what happened today..."

"What do you mean? What happened last night?"

Ivan's face burned a light pink. "Well... after you and Kat left, Gilbert ended up telling me he loves me." He paused. "And one thing led to another and we... had sex for the first time."

Natalia's eyes widened. "The first time? Really?" She figured they've done it before considering how touchy-feely they are, so she was a bit surprised by this knowledge.

The Prince looked at her strangely, and then nodded. "Yeah... Gilbert was always a bit scared of sex since he was a virgin, but last night he-"

"Whoa okay I don't need to know the details." Natalia patted his arm. "But I am happy for you. I'm glad he loves you back. Though, I am sad that this is the day after you're getting..."

Ivan rubbed his temples. "The guards have probably beaten him already, and he had a hard enough time walking earlier. I'm worried about him..."

Natalia stood up. "I can still try to fix this. If I can get Kat to convince father that Gilbert is innocent and that she did take him, maybe he'll listen."

"No." Ivan grabbed her arm. "If he didn't believe you yesterday then he won't believe you today. The Captain knows about Gilbert and me as well. We... we need to send him away before they execute him after the wedding." Ivan stood up. "We need to get him out of the city so he can be free." He began to walk toward the door, but Natalia roughly grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"And what about you?" She looked irritated. "What – you're just going to send him off on his own? All by himself?"

"He can't stay here."

"Then go _with_ him." She let go. "You hate it here, so why not leave? Take a boat across the sea, live in the land that has no kings and queens."

Ivan narrowed his eyes in thought. "You really think we could make it?" the image of living with Gilbert far away from this horrible castle and city made him happy, but could he really do it? Could he really escape this?

Natalia nodded. "You could live the life you've always wanted there."

"How would we get out?"

Natalia smiled and sat back on the bed. "Sit, I have an idea that might work."

Natalia spent minutes explaining that deep in the dungeon there's a piece of stone that can be moved. It connects to a small tunnel underground that leads up into the sunflower fields outside the castle. This exit was another emergency route in case the castle was ever under attack. The only problem was that they have to wait until night time. That way it'll be too dark for the guards to see them when they escape. Ivan didn't like the idea because that means they have to wait for hours still. He didn't want to leave Gilbert alone in the dungeon being beaten or worse. Ivan forced himself to think that if he could just get Gilbert out alive, he could heal. He wanted to believe that, but he knew it wouldn't be that easy. He didn't want Gilbert enduring traumatizing things, but if they got caught, Gilbert would be killed so Ivan accepted that he'd have to do this at night. _This_ night. He wasn't going to give his father the chance to kill the love of his life.

.

Much later when night covered the land and cast shadows everywhere. Ivan and Natalia both snuck out of the castle. They met up near the entrance of the dungeon from the outside. Natalia was already waiting there with a lit candle. She told him that during the day, she arranged for someone to bring two horses outside the city gates for them, and that they should be here by time he gets out with Gilbert. Ivan was a bit concerned about it, but Natalia assured him that the person was trustworthy. She then led her brother to the secret entrance, since he wasn't sure where it was. She stopped near the wall of the castle where there was a small door built into the ground.

"Here." Natalia handed the candle to him. "It'll be dark down there, so you'll need to see somehow. I'll be waiting here when you come back."

Ivan nodded and carefully took the candle. He lifted the trap door and climbed down the stairs into the darkness. He had the small candle in his hand, but once he saw the stone wall of the dungeon, he placed the candle down so it lit most of the tunnel. He went to the wall and pushed on it slowly as to not make any sound, and then stepped into the cold dungeon.

He glanced around and saw a torch lit by a cell, and then had to stifle a gasp when his eyes landed on Gilbert chained to the wall, beaten, bruised, and bloody, with his head hanging down.

* * *

Ah, where did the happiness of chapter 8 go.  
•This story is coming to an end. It'll be 11 chapters total, 10 being the final and 11 being an epilogue.

—

Thanks for reading, friend.  
If you liked this, please leave a favorite and/or a review. Thank you.


	10. Escape

**[Posted: 4/14/2014]**

Here we are – the final chapter of 'Status'! However, there will be an epilogue coming soon to fully finish the story off.

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****Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor am I making any money off of this or any of my other writings.**

****Chapter Warning(s): Angst, blood, character injury, implied torture, soft-core yaoi, fluff.**

* * *

Ivan's heart nearly slowed to a stop when he saw Gilbert. He went over to the cell where the albino was being held and he squinted his eyes to see him better. From what he could see, Gilbert had bruises forming on his arms, and scratches and cuts creating small red lines all over his pale thighs. There was blood on the front of his tunic, which was barely holding onto his body – it looked like it had been ripped open from behind. He wasn't moving, and that frightened Ivan. He couldn't be dead, not yet.

Then his fear turned to anger. At the end of the hall, he could hear two men talking. One of them was bound to have the key, right? He slowly crept over, watching his step. He picked up a small dagger from a nearby table and came up behind the two guards. He didn't want any deaths, at least not yet, so he slammed his fist against the back of one of the guard's neck, knocking him out instantly. The other turned around and was about to start yelling, but was met with the tip of Ivan's dagger to his neck and remained silent.

"It doesn't have to be your sword I put through your neck." Ivan poked the tip of the dagger into his skin. This was the guard who he had threatened earlier, and now he looked even more scared. "Now, which one of you has the key to Gilbert's cell?"

"I-I do." The man then felt the blade poke deeper. And he quickly scrambled to get the key from a small pouch on his hip and handed it to the Prince.

Ivan took the key. "Good boy." he turned. "By the way – If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I'll kill you. Or I'll have Natalia do it; you know how she is about her knives." He smiled at him. "Oh, one last thing, who was it that beat Gilbert?"

"The—the Captain, your grace. He's the one who dragged him from his room."

"And what did the Captain do to him?"

"Just... just beat him, I think."

"You think?" Ivan glared. "You don't know?"

"I wasn't here for most of it, your grace..." the man looked frightened.

"Fine. Thank you for cooperating with me." The guard was completely useless.

Ivan left the guard alone and made his way to the back of the dungeon where Gilbert was being held. He pushed the key into the lock and turned it, hearing the lock unlatch. He removed it and opened the door. The squeaking noise from the door woke Gilbert and he immediately felt terrified. Ivan heard him whimper and saw him try to move his long pale legs, which had several cuts and bruises on them, like they were beaten to immobilize him.

"Shh," Ivan shushed him sweetly as he kneeled next to him. "I'm here, don't worry."

"No..." Gilbert spoke raggedly and began crying.

Ivan touched his shoulder. "Gilbert it's me-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Gilbert screamed, throwing his head around.

Ivan covered his mouth, and he felt guilty when he saw the pain in Gilbert's eyes from the touch. His lip was swollen and bloody, and there was a large, darkening purple bruise around one of Gilbert's eyes, swelling it almost completely shut.

"I'm going to get you out of here. I know it hurts and you're scared, but you have to be quiet, okay?"

Gilbert's eyes dripped with tears but he nodded slowly. Ivan unlocked one of the shackles from Gilbert's wrists, which the albino quickly retracted to his chest. Ivan unlocked the other one and he did the same. His wrists were bloody from the poorly crafted shackles, and probably from all of the thrashing around he's been doing.

"I'll take care of you, I promise." Ivan gently took the other's hands into his own. "Can you walk?"

Gilbert tried to stand, but his legs shook violently under even the slightest amount of weight and he slumped back against the wall. He felt so defeated and scared. His legs hurt and the cuts on his skin stung terribly, and the water around him pricked at his skin coldly.

"I'll carry you on my back then. Can you hold around my neck or are your arms hurt too?"

"Everything hurts." Gilbert mumbled.

Ivan was deeply saddened and angered by this. He hoped that 'everything' really didn't mean everything, or else he might lose it and kill the Captain after all. However, right now he had to focus on Gilbert and get him to the outside of the castle. Ivan carefully scooped the smaller male into his arms. He felt Gilbert's body lean into him and he was shaking terribly. Part of him wondered what the Captain did to him, but he had an idea and that made him not want to know for sure. As long as Gilbert was breathing, he'd survive. It would take time for his injuries to heal, but he'd be okay.

Slowly and carefully he walked out of the cell with his broken rabbit in his arms. He held him close, with Gilbert's head under his chin. He carried him out the back of the dungeon, and through the dim-lit tunnel. He glanced up, looking for his sister. He went up the stairs more but didn't see her. He remembered her saying that someone would meet them outside the gate with horses, so he guessed that she was there. Ivan stepped fully out of the tunnel and into the sunflower fields.

"Look Gilbert, we're out." He smiled a little as he walked. It seemed so peaceful in the fields at night. He almost forgot that they were escaping, and the fact that this was the last time either of them would see this field or this castle. Ivan refused to come back here, refused to be king, refused to let Gilbert be executed. He'd kill anyone who tried to stop him.

Gilbert opened his eyes as much as he could without them hurting. He saw the full moon above them and the many sunflowers around him. He smiled a little, but then something occurred to him and he began to cry.

_'It can't be this easy.'_ "We're never going to make it..." he choked out. "Once they realize you're gone, every guard will be looking, and when they find us, they'll... they'll torture me again..." His voice wavered.

Ivan shushed him soothingly, but his hands gripped at pale skin tighter; hearing for a fact that Gilbert was tortured made him furious. "I won't let them. I'll defend you with my life. I'll fight each and every one of them; I'll kill them if they try to take you from me again."

Looking up at Ivan's face, Gilbert knew that the Prince was telling the truth. It calmed him a little and he nuzzled into Ivan's chest under his chin. He felt cold from the water that was along the bottom of his cell, his arms and legs hurt badly, and he had blood dried on his skin. However, even through the pain and fear of what happened in the past few hours, he felt calm and safe. He felt safe in Ivan's arms. The way the Prince was holding him made him feel cherished and loved, and he knew he was, Ivan had shown this sort of possessive love for quite some time, but he never believed the love was true, he thought he was just an object, like he was a toy that Ivan didn't want to share with anyone. Now, Ivan was leaving it all behind for him. He felt happy. Ivan belonged to him and only him.

Just as Gilbert was finally beginning to relax, they heard a horn blow in the distance from the castle.

"Fuck!" Ivan hissed and began to run through the fields. He should have known it wasn't going to be this easy. But why not? Why couldn't they just be left alone!?

"What? What's happening?" Gilbert grunted, holding onto the front of Ivan's tunic. He knew the sound of horns couldn't mean something good.

"They found out! I don't know how, but I know that guard is going to die for this!" Ivan hissed. "I warned him if he told I'd kill him!"

"Ivan..." Gilbert whimpered, his fingers tightening into the tunic.

The Prince stopped running and looked down at Gilbert. He realized that he was scaring him and he felt extremely guilty for that. He didn't want Gilbert being frightened of him, even if he was only trying to protect him. He kissed his forehead softly. "I'm sorry, Gilbie, I won't say it again."

Ivan kept his head down low and eventually came out of the fields near the front of the city. He saw Natalia waiting with two horses and quickly went over to her. She looked horrified when she saw Gilbert.

"Gilbert can't ride on his own, he's injured." Ivan said. "Help me get him onto the horse."

Natalia nodded. "I have Gilbert's friend, Antonio, here as well" Gilbert gasped softly when he heard his name.

The albino perked up, despite feeling pain when he did. "Antonio?" he called out.

The brunet came over and placed a hand on Gilbert's shoulder. "I'm here. Princess Natalia told me what happened..." he looked over Gilbert's battered skin and felt utterly destroyed. "I stole the fastest horses for you two."

Gilbert smiled. "You always knew which ones were the fastest."

The two shared a smile, but Ivan interjected. "I don't mean to break this reunion up, but the horns are still being blown. If we don't leave soon..."

Antonio nodded. "Right." He gave a soft kiss to Gilbert's cheek. "I'll miss you."

"You better come visit me wherever I end up, you bastard." Gilbert hissed jokingly as he was seated on top of the horse with the help of Ivan and Natalia.

"I will, I promise." Antonio looked to Ivan. "Take care of him."

The Prince gave him a serious look. "I will." He hopped up onto the horse, seating himself behind Gilbert.

Natalia handed him a bag of coin. "Take this. Buy a house across the sea and live like you've always wanted. I'll stop anyone from following, and I'll deal with father." She smiled. "After all, he has no authority across the sea."

Ivan gripped the bag in his hand and smiled. "Thank you. I owe you one."

"You owe me a few." She joked.

"Right." The Prince chuckled. "Tell Kat I love her and that I said goodbye." Natalia nodded and then Ivan looked to Antonio. "Thank you for saving Gilbert and protecting him for years. I can't thank you enough for that. If there's anything my sisters can provide for you, they will."

Antonio smiled and nodded.

"There they are!" a man shouted from the city gate. The men guarding it began to open it, shouting at one another to hurry.

"Go!" Antonio yelled and slapped the back of Ivan's horse, which then took off running. Ivan gripped the reins and held around Gilbert's body tightly. The albino was already grunting, the poor boy was in so much pain, but if Ivan could at least get to the docks by morning and get on the boat, Gilbert and himself would be free of his father forever.

As the two rode off on one of the horses, Natalia moved in front of Antonio and faced the guards approaching and ordered them to halt. She would not allow any of them to chase her brother.

.

"Are you all right?" Ivan asked next to Gilbert's ear once he put some distance between them and the city.

Gilbert nodded. "It hurts, but I'm okay..." in all honesty, he felt a bit faint, but he didn't want to tell Ivan and make him stop. He knew that they had to keep going.

Ivan gave him a sweet kiss to his temple and whipped the reins a little harder to push the horse faster. They raced through the night, down the dark stone path. It was cold even for Ivan, so he couldn't imagine how Gilbert felt in his tiny tunic, covered in water and blood. He tried to hold around him as much as he could without hurting him or falling from his horse, just to hopefully make him feel a bit warmer and safe.

He couldn't believe it. He was actually leaving his castle behind, and it wasn't a feeling of regret that made him unable to believe it. It's just been so long since he's wanted to escape that it felt unreal to him now that it's happening. He couldn't believe that soon he'd be living in a quaint little home with Gilbert by his side. He couldn't wait to see the albino smile and laugh again like he used to, to see his body fully heal and be clean of blood, bruises, and dirt. Never again would he put shackles on his rabbit's wrists, never again would he let him bleed. He would always protect Gilbert, forever. The thoughts put a smile on his face, and he began to think about things less 'serious'. He couldn't wait to throw Gilbert down on a large bed, slowly remove his clothes and make him crave his touch, and then leave a teasing trail of tender kisses from his belly up to his neck, all while rubbing at his sides and hearing that sweet voice whimper and whine for him. He wanted it all so badly, but first, he had to get Gilbert to safety and let him heal.

He pulled on the reins to slow the horse down to a trot, and Gilbert looked back at him. "What're you doing?" he asked.

"We're going to cut through the forest, that way if they send a rider after us, they won't know where we've gone." Ivan explained and led the horse into the dark forest. Gilbert felt a bit scared, but he trusted Ivan.

Ivan whipped the reins again to speed up, and they were running between the trees quickly. However, after minutes of riding, the ground seemed to just fall out from under them as their horse raced off the edge of a small cliff. Ivan heard Gilbert yell, but before he could get a firm enough grip on him, they were both thrown from the horse and tumbled down the hill. Gilbert rolled and flipped down the dirt until his body came to a stop at the base of the cliff, he acquired more cuts from the rocks and twigs dotting the ground and his arms were bleeding again. At the bottom his head struck a rather large rock that broke the skin. Ivan tumbled in a different direction but didn't fall too far from Gilbert. He shakily pushed his body from the ground, grunting a little as his right arm wanted to give in. He had a deep cut on his arm now from a rock or a piece of wood; he wasn't sure what gave it to him. It hurt badly, but that wasn't important to him when his eyes settled onto Gilbert's motionless body.

He yelled his name but received no response. He felt his heart sink and he stumbled to his feet, and ran to the albino.

"Gilbert!?" He shouted as he lifted the smaller male into his arms. He noticed blood running down the side of his face. He checked his heartbeat, which was there but just barely. Feeling Gilbert's heartbeat that weak instantly made Ivan cry.

He brushed some bloody white hair from his forehead. "Gilbert? Gilbie please wake up..." he begged him, dripping tears onto his pale skin. The albino was still motionless aside from his weak beating heart.

Ivan breathed in deeply and carefully lifted the other into his arms. His arm ached and dripped blood, but he didn't care. He glanced around, noticing that their horse had run off and was no where to be seen. He'd have to continue on foot. He began walking through the dark forest, holding the albino tightly, his hands shaking and bloody from the red liquid dripping down Gilbert's arm. He was terrified, but he whispered to his lover that everything would be all right.

"I'll take care of you." He said once and almost tripped over a tree root. "I'll—" he lost his balance and his back hit a tree. "take care of you..." He whispered again, pushing himself off of the tree, tears drying on his face and his nails nearly digging into Gilbert's skin. He put one foot in front of the other and continued on, desperately looking for an exit of the forest.

He wasn't going to let Gilbert go, not here, not today, not _ever_. He promised Gilbert so much, promised to keep him safe, and this was not how it was going to end, he refused. He was finally out of the castle with him, he was finally free. _Gilbert_ was free.

He walked on, carrying his rabbit in his arms.

.

Hours later, Gilbert slowly blinked his eyes open and felt his entire body ache. The sun was shining brightly threw a nearby window and made his eyes hurt. He grunted and tried to move.

"Shh, don't move too much yet." Gilbert glanced across the room and saw Ivan standing by a washbasin, shirtless and cleaning dirt from his skin.

"Ivan...?" Gilbert groaned. "Where are we?"

Ivan smiled, "Well that's a good sign – you remember me. We're on a boat sailing to the mainland." He went to Gilbert's side and sat on a small stool next to him. Gilbert noticed that Ivan's right arm was wrapped in a bandage, and he couldn't recall him getting injured. "How to you feel?" He asked, gently stroking his hair.

"Sore, and a little dizzy." Gilbert answered.

The Prince chuckled. "That's expected, you've been out for hours." He patted his right arm softly. "I had to get stitched up."

Gilbert looked confused. "What happened...?"

"You don't remember?"

Gilbert shook his head. "I remember leaving the castle, and going through the forest, and then everything went dark."

"We rode off a cliff and you hit your head on a rock, it knocked you out, and I got a deep cut on my arm when I fell. I carried you to a small port town where a doctor fixed us up. You were still unconscious then but your heart rate had gotten better. From there we took a carriage to the next town, we boarded the boat, and now we're here, on our way to the mainland where we'll start our new life. You're free now, Gilbert."

Gilbert's eyes filled with tears when he saw Ivan smiling down at him. He was so happy that he finally heard those words. He was free. Free of the shackles and that dark little room, free of the fear of the Captain and every other guard in the city, free of the fear of being hung or beheaded. He was free to live as he wanted now.

He whined and shifted his body. "Come down here and kiss me." He demanded with a pout.

Ivan chuckled but obeyed. He leaned down and kissed Gilbert's swollen lips as gently as he could. He could tell from how Gilbert twitched that it still hurt. "Sorry." He apologized.

The albino shook his head. "Don't be, I asked you to. It doesn't hurt too bad anyway."

Ivan smiled. "I'm glad. So you're feeling better then?"

"I haven't tried to move much, but I feel okay. I feel a little weak and light-headed, but I'm okay."

"Good." He kissed his forehead. "Gilbert... what happened in the dungeon?"

Gilbert glanced away. "I don't want to say, it'll only make you upset and feel guilty."

Ivan ignored him. "Did they... did the Captain try to...?"

The albino hesitated before nodding. "A few times... at first he would just tease me and make me think he was going to, but then he'd stop, and then do it again a few minutes later." He breathed out. "Then he tried for real, but the King called for him and he got mad at me and threw me at the wall. That was the last time I saw him..."

"He beat you, didn't he?"

Gilbert nodded slowly. "But I'm okay, I promise. It just hurts, but it'll all heal."

Ivan smiled sadly. "I know, I just wish I could have kept you safe like I promised."

"You did. We're safe now and that's all that matters."

The Prince sighed and smiled. Gilbert really was amazing. He didn't even look frightened, even by the memory of what happened. He guessed that because they were officially out of the King's grasp, he had no reason to worry. But wasn't he bothered at least a little by his injuries and what he went through? Probably. But Gilbert was tough, he's dealt with horrible things for years, but he always had Antonio by his side. Now it was Ivan's turn to keep Gilbert safe and make him happy, and he couldn't wait for them to get their life straightened up a bit so they can get back to enjoying each other, and forget that the King an his men even exist.

Gilbert smiled. "What about you? Are you okay?"

Ivan nodded. "I am. I hurt my arm pretty bad, but it'll be fine."

"Good... and, we're really on our way across the sea?" Ivan nodded, and Gilbert's eyes brightened. "How long until we get there?"

"Probably a day or two. We'll be on the boat for a while, but when we get there, everything will be different, and better."

"I'm really looking forward to it." Gilbert looked up at the ceiling. "What are we going to do there?"

"Well, my sister gave me some money to buy a house, but after we get settled a little, I think we should work." Ivan stated. "I'm not relying on my royal blood to feed and warm me anymore."

Gilbert turned his head to him and grinned crookedly. "I can do both of those for you."

The comment made Ivan blush some and he chuckled. "Be careful, you little imp, you're still injured. You can't be tempting me like that." Just as Ivan leaned down and kissed the albino, someone entered the room and cleared their throat, which made Ivan perk up rather quickly, looking a bit flustered.

"Pardon me, my lords, but it's time for me to change your bandages." It was the doctor who Ivan paid earlier. He also paid him to accompany them across the sea for checkups on Gilbert.

"We're not lords, my friend." Ivan looked to Gilbert and smiled softly. "Just two men trying to find a better life."

The doctor closed the door. "Oh please. I know who you two are." He walked in and set his bag on the end of Gilbert's bed. He pointed to Ivan. "You are Prince Ivan Braginski, only son and heir to the throne. And you—" he looked at Gilbert. "You are the 'demon' everyone on this side of the pond has been raving about." He chuckled when he saw some fear in the albino's eyes. "Don't worry, I don't believe in demons, witches, and ghouls. You are simply lacking color where others have it." He brought out a long roll of bandages and looked to Ivan. "Now, if you wouldn't mind?"

The Prince seemed a bit shocked, but he nodded and stood up, allowing the doctor to tend to Gilbert again. Under the blanket, Gilbert had bandages wrapped all around his upper arms and his thighs. He had some black shorts made from cut trousers on as well, but nothing else. The doctor smiled at Gilbert.

"Just lay back and relax. I'll get your legs first." He spoke and Gilbert nodded silently. He flinched and hissed softly when the doctor began to unravel the bandage from one of his thighs, but he closed his eyes and endured the slight pain. As the doctor was rubbing some cold ointment onto his skin and wounds, Gilbert glanced over to Ivan, who was standing by a window. He was staring out at the water, watching the waves and clouds roll by. When Ivan looked over to Gilbert and caught his eyes, the albino smiled weakly at him. The smile made Ivan blush a little. Even though he had a purple bruise around his eye, and his lip was swollen terribly to the point where his smile was a little misshapen, he still managed to look so cute and make Ivan's heart flutter.

"Excuse me, doctor?" Ivan spoke after a few minutes.

"Yes, what is it?" the doctor didn't pause or look at him, and continued to wrap Gilbert's other thigh in bandages.

"How did you know who we are?"

The doctor pulled the bandage tight and fastened it. "You are the only man on this side of the world with purple eyes, who is also known for having recently adopted an all-white friend."

"So if you knew from the start, why are you helping us? You must know that my father would be offering a lot of money to have me back."

The doctor hummed. "Have you been kidnapped?"

"What? No." Ivan was confused.

"So you left on your own with your pasty friend, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then why would I take you back to a place you left?"

Ivan was silent.

"You do not exist for your father's sake, nor for the kingdom's. You exist for you, and your friend here." He clapped his hands together and stood up. "It doesn't matter what gold or trinkets the King offers, it is not my place to make a man go somewhere he doesn't want to be, now is it?" He smiled at Ivan.

"I just figured that... since I'm royalty, you'd jump at the chance."

"Ah, but you do not _want_ to be royalty anymore, yes? So why think like you are?"

Ivan smiled and laughed a little. "I guess you're right."

"See? You are starting over. So instead of being Prince Ivan, be Ivan the farmer, or Ivan the woodcutter. It's your choice." The doctor turned back to Gilbert, who was staring at both of them in slight confusion. He held his hand out to the albino. "Can you sit up?"

Gilbert nodded, took the man's hand, and was slowly pulled to a sitting position. His head felt a little light and he almost thought he was going to pass out. The doctor went to work on his arm, doing the same as he did to his legs.

"Your lip and eye will heal in time, just be careful not to open the wound anymore. The cuts on your arms are shallow. You'll be fine." The doctor said and Gilbert smiled at the news. The man then removed the bandage around Gilbert's neck to check the little cuts there, and rewrapped it once he was done. "You're doing well. You'll fully heal in a few weeks.

The man stood and turned to Ivan. "Sit." He instructed, and Ivan did so. The doctor went to him and began his work on the Prince. Gilbert watched as the doctor removed the bandage from Ivan's right arm, and he felt his stomach turn when he saw the bloodied gash along his upper arm. He had stitches keeping it together. Gilbert was just glad that he didn't get injured badly enough to have to get stitches. The doctor cleaned Ivan's wound, which caused some pain for Ivan but he had some of that numbing ointment with him that made it more bearable.

"I would like to go with you ashore when we arrive. I will need to clean this until it can heal fully on its own, as well as take the stitches out when it's time."

Ivan nodded. "You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you want. I can't thank you enough for helping us, especially Gilbert." He looked to the mentioned man and smiled. "He's been through so much, I'm glad that there're people who don't think he's a demon."

"It's all nonsense. He's just colorless." The doctor began to wrap Ivan's arm. "He bleeds the same color as us, he needs food to survive, and needs the love and comfort of another." He eyed Ivan with a little smile. "He's just as much human as the rest of us."

The Russian blushed softly and turned away. He heard Gilbert snicker from across the room at him, which only embarrassed him more.

"There." The doctor stood up. "I'll bring some food for you both." The man turned to leave. "Oh, and some clothing for the pasty man."

"His name is Gilbert, sir." Ivan corrected him.

The doctor smiled. "Well, is there something specific that Gilbert wants to wear? A style or color?" he looked to the albino. "We have a ton of clothing in the back not being used."

Gilbert smiled happily. "Something red." He answered and looked to Ivan, who was now blushing softly. "Anything red will work."

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**_~Fin~_**

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Ah, wow, okay. Thank you for all the comments, reviews, favorites, and even fanart that I've received for this story. I really appreciate all of the support! I'm so glad that so many liked this story, and to think, I started writing 'Status' on an impulse, on a tiny little thought I was fantasizing about. I never thought I'd write a full story about it, but I'm glad I did. Honestly, it's the best result of any impulse I've ever had, really.

**Notes:**  
•Early on while I was developing the plot for this story, I was going to have Gilbert be executed at the very end, but I was unsure of how Ivan would handle that situation. He'd be very upset, obviously, but I don't know if he'd lean more toward the angry side or the sad side. I could see him snapping and actually killing the person who killed Gilbert and the one who gave the order, but I can also see him locking himself in his room and eventually dying from heartbreak. Maybe he would have done both? I'm not sure, so I just created an alternate happy ending.  
•Also thank you to BadLuckFox for helping me plot a lot of this story. Even though I kind of diverged from a lot of what we planned, she gave me tons of ideas that I built off of and I really enjoyed how it turned out.

**Story title meaning:** Ivan is a Prince and Gilbert is a peasant, but their status, or class, didn't affect their love or how well they connected. It's kind of one of those, 'We're different but we don't care' sort of things, and also the fact that Ivan's status meant nothing to him because he wanted to be with Gilbert. Okay, _technically_ that's not true, Ivan always hated being a Prince, but when Gilbert came along, it made him hate his royal blood even more.

—

Thanks for reading, friend.  
If you liked this, please leave a favorite and/or a review. Thank you.


	11. Epilogue

**[Posted: 4/15/2014]**

As promised, here's your smutty epilogue. I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope you enjoyed it as well.

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****Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor am I making any money off of this or any of my other writings.**

****Chapter Warning(s): Hard-core yaoi, smut, fluff, language, mention of blood/injury.**

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A delicious smell filled the entire room. It was sweet, but not sweet enough to be sickening. It smelled of apples, flour, sugar, and fresh bread. And it was all the handiwork of Gilbert. He had taken an interest in baking since arriving in this new land, and had gotten pretty good at it too. He's baked countless little treats for himself and Ivan, and each time he only got better. His body had healed up mostly as well. All of the cuts on his legs and his bruised eye had healed. His swelled lip returned to its normal size, and even the scars from the beating he received from the guards had faded completely. All he had left was the bandage around his neck; it was about time for him to remove it as well.

Gilbert was smiling happily as he put the finishing touches on his apple pie – some tiny pieces of pie crust in the shape of leaves. He set the pie on the table and laid out plates and utensils. He heard a loud snapping sound from outside, and his smile widened. Gilbert went to the back door and opened it, letting in a gust of cold wintry air.

"Ivan!" he called out to the Russian who was wielding an axe and chopping wood. He was also missing his shirt, which Gilbert thought he was crazy for since the ground was covered in snow. Though he figured that after chopping so much wood, one would get hot. It's what Ivan's been doing since the escape over a month ago, and ever since his arm healed enough. Chopping wood for their fires and the fires of people in town as well, and earning a decent amount of coin doing it. It's exactly how he said it would be – they'd buy a little house, get settled, and then work. Gilbert, once feeling better, had gotten a job helping out at a bakery in town, and had such a natural skill with it that the woman there offered him a full time job. Ivan loved it too, the albino always smelled of bread and sweetness. Every time the albino came home, Ivan would inhale the scent lingering on him and hug him. Sometimes he just wanted to eat him right up!

As Gilbert continued to set the table with glasses and a bottle of vodka, Ivan put his shirt back on and silently went into the house. He snuck up on the albino, wrapped his arms around his belly from behind, and buried his face into his neck. The sudden action pulled a cute little squeak from Gilbert.

"You're cold!" the albino whined and wiggled in the former Prince's grasp.

Ivan allowed him to move but simply turned the smaller male around so he could see his beautiful face. He leaned down and kissed him deeply, not even building up to shoving his tongue inside. Gilbert didn't protest either, only grunted when their tongues collided. The albino's once pale cheeks lit to a bright shade of red. He had become unaccustomed to this type of treatment. Ivan and himself haven't had much physical contact like this since the night before the escape. Since Gilbert was so injured, Ivan thought it'd be wise to wait a bit, especially after what the Captain did; he didn't want to rush Gilbert into anything he might be uncomfortable with.

Once Ivan pulled back, he grinned at how red Gilbert's face was. He stroked his fingers against the colored cheeks and chuckled. It was absolutely adorable of Gilbert to be this embarrassed. It had been so long since he's seen him blush like this, but Gilbert was slowly getting his attitude back, moreso now that his injuries were healing.

Ivan began to think as he adored Gilbert's face. He remembered that night so clearly, and how swollen and red these pale pink lips were, how there was a dark purple, almost black, bruise around his left eye, and all of the tiny cuts and bruises dotting his entire body. When they tumbled off of that cliff and he saw Gilbert lying on the ground completely still, for a moment he thought he lost him. Even once he began walking with him, feeling Gilbert so weak and barely breathing in his arms was terrifying, he really thought he was going to lose him. But then he found that strange doctor and he helped both of them. After coming to this town, Ivan never asked Gilbert for details of what happened in the dungeon. On the boat, he got some information, but he never asked for anything more, he didn't _need_ to know more. All that mattered now was that Gilbert was alive, safe, and healing.

"Ivan?" Gilbert questioned when the other seemed a bit dazed.

The Russian shook his head a little and smiled. He wrapped his arms around the albino and held him close to his body.

"Ivan are you okay?" he barely got through his sentence before Ivan began to play with the strings of his apron.

"I wish I could see you wearing _only_ this apron... because I'd rip it off of you, pour honey and sugar all over you, and then lick it off slowly..." Ivan whispered in his ear.

The statement made Gilbert's cheeks flush red again and he shifted his body. It's been so long since he's heard Ivan speak to him like this, although, licking stuff off of him was a new touch. The thought made Gilbert warm inside.

"I have something for you." Gilbert said.

"Is it you?" Ivan grinned hopefully. He wanted to let Gilbert fully heal before touching him again, and he noticed that the albino was nearly healed. He was getting anxious to have Gilbert again.

"I have a gift for you. It's your birthday after all." The albino smiled and broke away from Ivan to go to a small closet in the kitchen. Ivan looked a bit stunned. He had completely forgotten about his birthday and was a bit shocked that Gilbert knew what day it was. Did his sisters tell him at one point? Gilbert came back to him with a white box with a red lace ribbon around it.

"Go on, open it."

Ivan took the box and sat it on the table. He carefully undid the ribbon on it and pulled the cover of the box off. He pulled out the contents – a heavy, long, white knit scarf. He looked back to Gilbert.

"You're always saying that you're cold. So I had one of the tailors in town make it for you with some money I earned." Gilbert took the scarf from Ivan's hands and swung it around the man's neck. He adjusted it on his shoulders so that both of the tails hung over his back. "There. You look so handsome." He smiled happily.

Ivan held the front of his new scarf and blushed softly, hiding behind the fabric. "Thank you... I love it." This gift was very important to him, any gift that Gilbert gave was important.

Gilbert glanced to the pie he had just made. _'It can wait...'_ "That's not all, though." he spoke and then moved back a few feet.

Ivan looked to him curiously. Gilbert undid his apron and took it off, and then removed the white bandages from his neck, revealing that the small cuts there were healed. Next, he undid the ties on the front of his tunic and pulled it over his head. Ivan watched him, blushing softly and already becoming aroused. It had been so long since he saw Gilbert's body in this context. It was always just to rewrap his wounds or help him bathe, but this had a very sensual feel to it. So when the albino's trousers joined his tunic on the floor, Ivan felt his heart flutter and cock twitch at the sight of the bare albino beauty in front of him.

Gilbert sauntered back over to him and placed his hands on the larger male's chest. "You have a promise that you still need to fulfill." Gilbert rubbed his groin against Ivan's, pressing against the man's growing erection.

Ivan remembered his promise with a soft blush. The night that Gilbert was imprisoned, he promised to make him feel fantastic again, that Gilbert would ride him. It made him extremely horny just thinking about it. In a few minutes he'd have Gilbert moaning in front of him again. He's almost forgotten what he sounds like, it's been so long.

Gilbert giggled. "_Someone's_ getting excited." He cooed and rocked toward his lover.

Ivan then wasted no more time and scooped Gilbert into his arms, earning a cute laugh from the albino, and quickly went to their shared bedroom. On his way out, he grabbed the red ribbon that was around the box.

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The Russian hastily placed Gilbert on the bed and closed the door, locking it as well for really no reason at all. As he made his way back over to Gilbert, he was fumbling quickly with the buttons of his shirt.

Gilbert suddenly stood up and placed his hand over Ivan's. "Let me." Gilbert gazed up at him with the most beautifully seductive eyes ever, and Ivan didn't have any desire to protest. Gilbert proceeded to strip the other, finished unbuttoning his shirt and slid it off of his arms. He took a moment to look at Ivan's right arm, it had healed but the gash left a scar, but somehow Gilbert found it attractive. His big strong bear got this scar as he protected him, something about that just aroused Gilbert. The albino moved to Ivan's pants, and he heard Ivan breathe in impatiently and it almost made Gilbert laugh. So much pent-up lust Ivan had, Gilbert knew he was going to get fucked out of his mind tonight. Not that he minded too much anyway. Gilbert left the scarf on Ivan's shoulder, liking how it looked on his naked body, and pressed his own nude body against Ivan's.

They both moaned softly and enjoyed the feeling for a moment, but Ivan pulled back and told Gilbert to wait. He retrieved the red ribbon, gently wrapped it around Gilbert's neck, and tied it in a little bow, letting the long tails of it fall down over Gilbert's pale chest.

"There. You're my gift now as well." Ivan grinned proudly.

The albino smiled a little and toyed with the tails of the ribbon, but didn't waste his time with them. His hand quickly found Ivan's semi-erection, making Ivan gasp, and gave it a few strokes, pulling little grunts and moans from the Russian. He looked up at Ivan and pulled the man down by his scarf to kiss him. For a moment Gilbert was overpowered by the kiss, but he let Ivan have it. Gilbert began to push back on Ivan as they kissed, making him walk backward to the bed until Ivan sat down on it. He never broke the kiss or stopped his hand from stroking slowly.

Finally Gilbert broke from him, but only to take a new position that made Ivan blush and squeak a little in the back of his throat. The albino straddled his waist, stood on his knees, and rocked his hips to make Ivan's erection slip between the cleft of his ass. The Russian moaned and shuddered at the feeling, and placed his hands on Gilbert's waist. He loved how Gilbert was taking this into his own hands. It made him remember how timid he was for their very first kiss, and how Gilbert was so horny for him but frightened as well. He remembered the first time Gilbert called his name in the bath, and the countless nights of meaningless touches spent swallowing Gilbert's lewd moans, and the night they had sex for the first time.

He was knocked from his thoughts when Gilbert gasped in front of him. It took him a moment to realize that Gilbert had slipped a finger inside of his body and was now wiggling it around. Having the albino do this in his lap was _extremely_ arousing; he wanted to be inside of Gilbert so badly.

Gilbert pressed another finger inside and grunted as he stretched his muscles. His body had tightened up after not having anything inside for more than a month; however, that fact escaped him when he pulled his fingers out and pressed the tip of Ivan's erection against his entrance.

Just as Ivan felt the pressure of Gilbert's body press down on his cock, he suddenly grabbed his hips to stop him.

"Wait, Gilbert you—you didn't prepare yourself enough. You're going to bleed." Ivan spoke with worry.

"I don't care." Gilbert shoved himself down; forcing the head to roughly slip passed the tight muscle. He gasped out. It hurt without something to make it slippery, but he still didn't care.

Ivan held Gilbert's hips. "Please Gilbert; I don't want you to hurt yourself." He was barely controlling himself with the tip inside. Gilbert didn't listen and continue to push himself down; Ivan still held his hips in place, hoping that the albino would get some sense and realize how painful this was going to be for him. He already had tears in his eyes and Ivan wasn't even a quarter of the way in. What was he even thinking? It's been over a month so of course his body was going to be extremely tight. But maybe that was the point? The tighter he was, the better Ivan would feel, but Ivan didn't want Gilbert hurting himself for his sake.

After a moment, Gilbert growled and lifted himself off of Ivan and sat on his thighs. "_What?_"

"I don't want you bleeding. If you do it like this it'll hurt worse than the first time." Ivan stroked the albino's hair. "Go get the ointment from the washroom, okay?" Gilbert pouted a little but gave in. He hopped off of Ivan and left. Ivan sighed heavily once Gilbert was gone; he was glad that finally Gilbert listened to him. He really didn't want the first time after so long being more painful than the very first.

Soon the albino came back into the room. He immediately dipped his fingers into the little container and stood in front of Ivan. Before he could get his hand behind him to start prepping again, Ivan gripped his wrist.

"No, just slick me up. It'll still hurt a bit for you, but it'll be easier for me to slip right inside." He chuckled at how much Gilbert blushed at that.

However, Gilbert didn't protest and knelt to the floor. To get his revenge for making him blush just now, Gilbert placed a sweet kiss to the tip of Ivan's erection and glanced up at him, teasing him. He was very pleased with how Ivan reddened and looked away. Ivan couldn't believe how sexy Gilbert was, kneeling between his thighs with his lips puckered against his cock. Gilbert suddenly took what he could of Ivan's length into his mouth, massaging his tongue against the sensitive skin as he descended down. Ivan inhaled sharply. It had been so long since anything's been around his cock that he just wanted to thrust up into that warm and wet mouth.

After feeling satisfied with the sounds from Ivan and how hard the Russian was now, Gilbert finally started to slick his lover up with the ointment. He felt Ivan twitch from the coldness of the substance, which just made Gilbert chuckle. Soon Ivan's skin was shining and Gilbert stood up. He immediately straddled Ivan, feeling even more anxious than before. The albino positioned himself over Ivan's cock and was ready to push down, but he suddenly squeaked when the Russian wrapped his hand around his erection.

"Go slow." Ivan instructed in a husky whisper.

Gilbert flushed and gave a little nod; Ivan released him and kissed his cheek sweetly. The albino placed one hand on Ivan's shoulder while the other helped guide him inside. Once the tip pressed passed the first ring of muscle again, he moved his hand up to Ivan's shoulder to better support himself and slowly lowered his body. He felt his tight muscles stretching and Ivan felt them clenching heavenly around him. Soon Gilbert began to grunt in pain due to the lack of preparation, and he was regretting not doing a good enough job when Ivan gave him the chance to, and his haste was now going to cause him pain.

Ivan watched Gilbert's beautiful face as the man impaled himself on him. He looked a bit uncertain, but that could just be the pain and discomfort he felt. His cheeks were a bright pink, and the red ribbon around his neck was a lovely touch as well. He was moving so cautiously, like this was the first time they were together. Ivan couldn't blame him, though, it's been a while for either of them, so it was only natural that Gilbert felt like this.

Feeling a bit brave, Gilbert thrust his hips down, and immediately regretted it when his body stretched over Ivan and tore. His eyes filled with tears and he whimpered, his body shaking a little. Ivan wrapped his arms around the pale boy and rubbed up and down his back soothingly.

"Take your time, there's no rush." Ivan whispered and kissed Gilbert's collarbone. A thought then entered Ivan's mind: he had never left any love bites on Gilbert for fear of them being caught. He would have to change that now that no one could bother them. He began to nibble and suck on the skin where he kissed until it turned red, and then he bit down, which made Gilbert yelp softly. Ivan apologized and licked at the area, but continued to make little bites all over his chest.

Gilbert had to decide if he wanted to drag out the pain and continue down slowly, or just deal with the pain all at once. He opted for the second option and suddenly let his weight down on Ivan, fully seating himself on the other's lap. They both gasped and grunted out at the same time once Ivan was all the way in, and the Russian wrapped his arms tightly around the smaller male, leaning his face against his pale chest. Gilbert was grunting and whining in the back of his throat, clearly in pain. His teeth were clenched and he already had sweat building on is skin.

"Did—did you get bigger or something...?" Gilbert hissed at the other.

"No..." Ivan panted. "You just didn't do what I said."

"It hurts..."

"I know." The larger male gently stroked up and down Gilbert's back, which he could feel trembling. He felt bad, but at the same time, Gilbert should have known better. He only hoped that soon the pain would fade enough for one of them to start moving. The sooner Ivan finds that little spot inside of Gilbert's body, the sooner everything will be better.

Ivan thrust his hips up, making Gilbert gasp out and cling to him. "Sorry, love..." he thrust up again. Gilbert whimpered each time Ivan thrust, but he noticed that the pain was slowly fading.

"Wait, stop." Gilbert suddenly pushed on Ivan's chest. When the Russian looked at him curiously, he spoke again, "You're not supposed to do any of the work, remember?" he lifted his hips so Ivan pulled out. "Let me... let me fuck myself with you..." His cheeks burn hotter and darker when he said those words.

Ivan smiled sweetly up at the other and nodded. Gilbert was simply too amazing. He moaned when Gilbert pushed himself back down, all the way until Ivan was buried deep inside again. The albino panted softly and lifted again, grunting a little, but he gasped when something seemed to light a spark in his nerves. He wiggled a little until he felt it again and pushed back down. A louder moan escaped Gilbert's throat as Ivan's cock brushed against his prostate. He pulled up, striking that spot again, and then back down.

Ivan watched as Gilbert slowly moved up and down on him, grunting and moaning softly at how tight and warm the albino felt. He enjoyed that Gilbert was going slow, but part of him wanted more, he wanted his rabbit to move quicker.

He placed his hands on the other's hips and gripped gently. "Faster." He gave the simple instruction and Gilbert obeyed immediately. Ivan felt the albino's hands tighten on his shoulders and he began to bounce quicker, letting Ivan's cock slip in and out faster. The new wave of pleasure made Ivan choke out a tiny laugh and he gripped onto Gilbert's skin, probably leaving little red marks.

"You're—you're just like a horny little bunny!" Ivan laughed and thrust up as Gilbert came down, making the albino nearly scream when his prostate was struck. He held around the back of one of Gilbert's thighs and pulled to spread his legs farther, feeling himself slip deeper. Gilbert cried out louder when his sweet spot was repeatedly slammed into. It hurt so good that it brought tears to his eyes, almost enough to drip down his cheeks. He was lost in the pleasure he felt and tried to go faster, but his legs were failing him and he was actually slowing down.

However, Ivan wasn't having that. As soon as he noticed Gilbert losing his speed, he easily lifted the smaller male off of him and threw him onto the bed. The albino stuttered out the word 'what' followed by some needy pants. Ivan crawled over his body and flipped his rabbit over onto his belly. When Gilbert felt Ivan seat himself between his legs on his knees, he whimpered with anticipation; being taken this way without a reason like the first time felt very... animalistic. Ivan lifted that cute little rump to his cock; he took a moment to grope and rub the lumps of flesh and then slipped back inside easily. The entry made Gilbert moan in surprise, but the rest of his body went limp when Ivan slowly began to thrust.

It didn't stay a slow thrust for long nor at a gentle pace either, Ivan was slamming into him with no mercy and as quickly as he could. He had gained some muscle and stamina from chopping and carrying wood, while Gilbert was even weaker than before, and their strength difference really showed in moments like these. He lifted Gilbert's rear more and slammed in at a different angle, striking that spot inside and setting Gilbert's entire body alight with pleasure. His insides clenched tightly around Ivan's cock, his body jolted with each thrust, he was crying out loudly with wanton lust, and a little strand of saliva was dripping from the corner of his agape mouth.

Hearing Gilbert so lewd like this excited Ivan. Gilbert was secretly a little pervert wasn't he? A little imp who was initially shy; a horny rabbit who was easy to satisfy. He may have been timid once, but as soon as Ivan threw him down and gave him what his body was deprived of, he opened up like a flower. Ivan bet that Gilbert loved being fucked like this, he never heard Gilbert moan so loudly before, and he had no desire to muffle those sounds either. He had no fear of anyone hearing – they lived a few miles from town and surrounding them was a forest on one side and farmland on the other. Only Ivan and woodland creatures could hear Gilbert now.

Soon, Ivan slowed his movements, but kept the power, thrusting once roughly every few seconds. Gilbert grunted at each hard thrust until he felt Ivan shudder and moan. The larger man climaxed and thrust slowly to ride out his orgasm, feeling his cum fill Gilbert's insides and drip out as he moved. He took a moment to catch his breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead, but suddenly felt Gilbert pushing back against him, silently telling him to move. Ivan carefully rested his body down on top of Gilbert, pressing himself deep inside.

"What—" Gilbert gasped. "are you doing...?" he asked with a ragged voice, still hard and aching for release.

Ivan smiled at him and rubbed down pale arms, found Gilbert's hands, and then placed his hands over them. He kissed behind Gilbert's ear and began rocking his hips, thrusting slowly in and out again. The albino moaned softly, but the added weight pressing down on his erection hurt. Soon Gilbert felt one of Ivan's hands move under his body and gently grip his erection.

Gilbert whimpered, but Ivan shushed him quietly. "It's all right, rabbit. I'll take care of you." He nipped at his earlobe and began to stroke the albino as he continued to thrust slowly. He could feel Gilbert rock his hips, like he wanted more, but Ivan could tell that he was tired already and just aching for release. Ivan sat back up, bringing Gilbert's hips with him as he moved. The albino sat on his calves and stayed bent over his knees, and Ivan began to thrust a bit faster into his prostate, stroking his cock faster too.

It wasn't long before Ivan felt that familiar constriction around him, followed by Gilbert's adorable voice moaning out as he reached his orgasm. Ivan released him and let the albino fall limply to the bed in completely satisfied exhaustion. Ivan slipped out of him and he watched as his cum dripped down Gilbert's leg, the only thing that bothered him was that there was some blood mixed with it. He poked his finger against the swollen hole and pressed it inside. Gilbert jolted a little and turned his head to look at Ivan.

"Better to clean this out soon, yes?" The Russian giggled and added another finger. He remembered how Gilbert was so embarrassed about this before, so he just couldn't help himself. He began to stretch the muscles, letting himself trickle out. Gilbert buried his head into the pillow, face burning with embarrassment.

"Where are we going to sleep...?" Gilbert asked with a soft grunt, noting that his cum was soaking into the blanket below him and also smearing on his stomach.

"We just need to change the blanket." Ivan said, and brushed his finger against Gilbert's prostate, which made him gasp and jolt forward.

Ivan removed his fingers after a while and then suddenly flipped Gilbert over onto his back. He still remained between those long thin legs. "Now what shall I do to you, hm?" he hummed with a grin as he 'walked' two fingers up Gilbert's inner thigh.

Gilbert's eyes widened. "N-Not another round, I hope..."

The Russian blinked at him for a moment and then burst out laughing, which made Gilbert pout and flush in embarrassment. He then leaned down and kissed Gilbert. "No, not another round. I know you're tired, but that doesn't mean I can't do other things to you." His finger played with one end of the red ribbon. "I think I'll give my little bunny more love bites!" He immediately lowered his head and began to renew the few marks he made before on Gilbert's skin. After he was done, he moved down Gilbert's body and lifted his hips so he could nibble at his soft belly; he also licked at some of Gilbert's cum that was sticking to his skin. When he heard Gilbert giggle a little, he grinned mischievously and began to tickle his sides, making the smaller male weakly thrash around laughing.

He stopped. "You're so cute, Gilbert." Ivan whispered against his belly, and then bit down, adding another mark to his otherwise flawless skin. "This is the best gift I've ever received." He looked up at Gilbert and admired him for a moment. His skin was still red in some places, with the addition of several red bite marks dotting his chest and belly, and he was clearly tired from how his eyes were drooping down some.

"Shall we go eat some of your delicious pie now?" Ivan rubbed up pale sides.

"It's probably cold by now..." the albino complained and looked away.

The Russian grinned and left a trail of kisses from Gilbert's belly up to his chest, eventually reaching his pink lips. He kissed him and then pulled back. "You're the one who got naked, so it's you're fault." Gilbert pouted at him. "Besides, we can just make another. We have all the time in the world, and nothing will stop us from doing what we want."

Gilbert smiled and wrapped his arms around Ivan's neck; he pulled on the scarf anxiously. "Really? We can do anything?"

"Anything." Ivan repeated with a nod.

The albino's smile widened. "I want you to make love to me every night from now on." He kissed Ivan's lips. "And I'll make you tons of pies and feed them to you."

"Can I cover you in one and eat it off of you?"

Gilbert giggled and blushed, but nodded in agreement. Ivan kissed the albino again, letting it last a bit longer but leaving it sweet and tender.

"I love you so much, Gilbert, and I promise I'll take ca—"

"You'll take care of me." Gilbert smiled. "I know."

Ivan blinked at him a few times, and then smiled lovingly. Gilbert was the most amazing person he's ever met. And he was all his – forever.

* * *

Okay, 'Status' is officially over now.

—

Thanks for reading, friend.  
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